I have never seen an episode the TV Show 21 JUMP STREET, so there was no tinge of nostalgia within me upon seeing the feature film. I am pleased to say that knowing no trivia about the original television series, besides giving Johnny Depp an enormous career boost, did not hinder my enjoyment of the 2012 version. In fact, the first hour of this movie is the funniest laugh out loud comedy I have seen since BRIDESMAIDS. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are former high school rivals who end up in the same graduating class at the Police Academy. Due to a major mishap during an arrest, they are both demoted to the 21 Jump Street division, which is filled with undercover cops who look young enough to go undercover as high school students. Their mission is to discover the Seller of a new drug to teenagers that has turned out to have a fatal edge to it. There was rarely a moment in the first hour of this movie that I wasn't smiling. I laughed out loud many times and was in pure bliss. Around the hour mark, some of the steam starts to escape from the screenplay. It's as if midway thru writing the screenplay, the writers changed. The comedy lost it's originality and the movie dissolved into just another cop movie with one too many car chases. Jonah Hill is hilarious as the high school nerd who suddenly finds on his ADULT return that he has the means to be one of the "popular" kids. Channing Tatum proves that he should stay away from dramas and stick to comedies. He is quite good and very funny in this. Ice Cube steals every scene he's in as the head of 21 Jump Street's Division. In spite of the weak second half, I still recommend seeing 21 JUMP STREET. The first 60 minutes are about as perfect as a comedy of this nature can be. Also, keep your eyes peeled for some surprise Cameos from the original television Cast of 21 JUMP STREET....extra points for those that spot Mr. Depp before the big "reveal".
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