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Funny moments with Jonah Hill in '21 Jump Street': movie review (+trailer)

( R ) ( Monitor Movie Guide )

Actor Jonah Hill has some funny moments, but his co-star Channing Tatum and the movie itself both try too hard to be goofy.

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Scott Garfield/HONS/Columbia Pictures – Sony/AP
In the film update of the 1987 TV series, Jonah Hill (c.) and Channing Tatum (r.) must go undercover at a local high school.
  • By Peter Rainer Film critic

I’ve never been a big fan of retreading 1980s TV shows into feature films. “21 Jump Street,” the latest specimen of this subgenre, serves primarily as a vehicle for the oddball pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum playing rookie undercover cops assigned to bust a drug ring in a local high school. Hill, in his slimmed-down mode, has some choice dweeby moments, but Tatum tries too hard to be goofy, as does the movie.

The basic premise – that these two are supposed to be high school age and siblings – is funny, but the joke, as is true of many others in this movie, is replayed way too often. Look for a cameo by a movie star whose initials are J.D. Grade: C (Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material, teen drinking and some violence.)

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