Steele’s Reels: ‘21 Jump Street’ remake produces plenty of laughs

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By Dave Steele

Based on the hit TV series starring Johnny Depp, “21 Jump Street” is an action comedy about two young police officers who have all but moved on from their dreadful high school experiences.

Schmidt (Jonah Hill), the smart, unpopular senior who earned the nickname “Not So Slim Shady” for his bleach blond hair, missed out on prom because he couldn’t find a date.

Jenko (Channing Tatum), the popular and handsome jock, was a sure pick for prom king, but due to his lack of effort, he was not able to attend for poor grades.

The two had an identical prom experience despite coming from opposite social circles.

In hopes of a fresh start, the two enlisted into the metro police academy. Realizing that where one excelled, the other struggled, the two became friends and helped each other pass the physical and mental trials of the academy.

After blowing arrest after arrest, the two were demoted to the “Jump Street” unit. This unit was meant for young-looking officers that could go undercover in teen situations.

Now the two must go back to high school to contain an experimental new drug form spreading to other schools and becoming mainstream.

Expectations may have been lower for some when the Jump Street trailers rolled out.

Oh great, another remake of an late 80s/early 90s sitcom.

A common issue with these remakes is that while they mean well and stay true to their source material, the humor is just plain outdated and irrelevant.

This is certainly not the case for the modernized and hilarious “21 Jump Street.”

Structurally, there’s nothing new here. Yet the delivery of relevant and envelope-pushing humor is spot on.

Hill’s character is identical to his previous roles, but why change something that has worked so well time and time again?

His contributions as a writer to the film were also notable and sound so much like the idiotically hilarious things we hear in today’s conversations.

Tatum, however, stepped outside of his comfort zone of action hero/teen heartthrob into a hilarious and foul-mouthed meathead who had me rolling.

Everything was timed perfectly for this movie and will leave audiences with nothing but sore abs and smiles.