The odds that a movie comedy remake of a television drama that, while critically acclaimed, ran for just five full seasons could be a blockbuster movie you think would be rare. I would think the same thing. And when I first saw the preview of Chris Miller’s (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Shrek the Third) 21 Jump Street, my first thought was why. After finishing the preview, I thought this would be a disaster. I was wrong. While I hadn’t heard a single person say this movie was bad, it still sat next to my DVD player for over two weeks after its Netflix envelope arrived. Channing Tatum (Stop Loss, Public Enemies) and Jonah Hill (Moneyball, Superbad) are decent actors. I’m certainly not going to go out of my way to watch a movie because one of these two is the star of it. As a duo, I thought they wouldn’t work. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this movie.

Tatum and Hill star as Jenko and Schmidt, two oddball police partners who also went to high school together. It is roughly seven years since their high school graduation. Jenko and Schmidt knew each other and high school but did not hang out in the same social circles. Jenko was a jock who often found himself in the principal’s office. Schmidt was the insecure nerdy type. While at the police academy, the two men realize they need each other to get onto the force. Jenko does not have the brains to pass the written tests necessary to earn his badge, while Schmidt cannot pass the physical component. They agree to help each other out. Jenko will get Schmidt in physical shape, and Jenko will help tutor Schmidt. The duo finds itself as undercover narcotics officers after they botch a routine in which they could have put a drug dealer behind bars simply because the arrested man was not read his Miranda Rights. A new synthetic drug called HFS is unknown to law enforcement. It causes a crazy high but has also led to at least one student overdosing. Captain Dickson (Ice Cube – Barbershop, Friday) tells Jenko and Schmidt that their goal is to infiltrate the drug dealers and find the supplier. They go undercover as high school fraternal twins.

They are each given class schedules based on their personalities. However, neither officer can remember the name of his secret identity. This results in Jenko following the class schedule Schmidt was supposed to have and vice versa. The not-so-bright Jenko ends up in classes like AP Chemistry, while Schmidt ends up in theater class. This alone results in quite several laughs. Both men quickly realize that the things that were popular and cool when they were in high school are not the same things that are cool and popular seven years later. The film does an outstanding job of recognizing the current issues that a 2012 high school senior would face. It is hilarious watching each of the men acclimate to their new environments. The movie is by no means sentimental, but Tatum and Hill each do a great job showing their differences that when they come together and embrace one another, you can’t help but be happy seeing their characters come full circle.

The movie also stars Dave Franco (Fright Night, Charlie St. Cloud). Franco is the younger brother of James Franco and shows a lot of the same promise that has made the elder Franco one of the most talented people in Hollywood. You’ll enjoy this movie a lot if you enjoy a good comedy. I compare it to The Other Guys. Your side won’t hurt from laughing, but you’ll be thoroughly entertained from start to finish).