21 Jump Street
2012 · Directed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Original language: English
- action
- comedy
- crime
The story
When cops Schmidt and Jenko join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high school students. They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, and set out to shut down a dangerous drug ring. But, as time goes on, Schmidt and Jenko discover that high school is nothing like it was just a few years earlier -- and, what's more, they must again confront the teenage terror and anxiety they thought they had left behind.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated suburban daylight and a glossy, brisk digital finish give this comedy the look of a studio high-school picture, with bouncing handheld camera, quick cuts and frequent zooms that keep the energy up. The palette is sunny and candy-coloured, with bright hallways, pastel parties and sweaty buddy-cop chases through school grounds and a smoky drug-den night. The score is a jaunty, thumping pop-and-hip-hop mix that stays loud and upbeat, while the dialogue is fast, profane and improvised-sounding. The vibe is loud, goofy and self-aware, a comedy with bursts of crude humour and a parody of teen-movie clichés. Pacing is brisk and jokey, and the emotional core is a pair of mismatched partners slowly learning to respect each other's strengths and insecurities. Violence is cartoonish and frequent but mostly brief: fistfights, gunfire and car chases played for laughs, with some bloodied noses and drug-related peril, no real gore. Sexual humour and drug references are crude and constant. It suits a late-night laugh with friends or a rowdy, undemanding movie night, for viewers who want raunchy, fast-moving buddy comedy rather than anything gentle.
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