Overview
Two rookie cops go back to high school, but this time, the stakes are much higher than prom.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- irreverent
- witty
- raunchy
- group movie night
- comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a smart, affectionate, and surprisingly sharp satire with rowdy comedy and excellent chemistry between its leads.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The undercover high-school premise, Peter Pan audition, cliques, and deliberately reversed teen stereotypes parody established adolescent movie conventions.
Schmidt and Jenko's failed school friendship and strained police partnership directly threaten their undercover operation.
Rookie cops are sent back into high school and discover that contemporary students occupy social roles unlike their own teenage identities.
The investigation repeatedly expands from school infiltration into exaggerated fights, chases, and police confrontations without abandoning the comic register.
Films like 21 Jump Street, and why
The Other Guys
shares irreverent buddy cop comedy, undercover investigation, crude humor, and strong double-act chemistry
21 Jump Street
shares high-energy action comedy, mismatched male partners, satire of genre conventions, and escalating criminal investigation
Superbad
shares raunchy teen comedy, school setting, awkward friendship, and affectionate parody of adolescent movie tropes
The Heat
shares undercover policing, comic identity confusion, action set pieces, and broad buddy-cop humor
Movie Details
- Directors
- Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
- Release Date
- 2012-03-14
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (11298)
Cast
- Jonah Hill
- Channing Tatum
- Brie Larson
- Dave Franco
- Rob Riggle
- DeRay Davis
- Ice Cube
- Dax Flame
- Chris Parnell
- Ellie Kemper
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is 21 Jump Street about?
- Two mismatched rookie cops get a chaotic second chance at high school while infiltrating a drug ring and relearning how to be friends.
- What is 21 Jump Street like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 21 Jump Street as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is 21 Jump Street violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in 21 Jump Street as moderate.
- What did critics think of 21 Jump Street?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a smart, affectionate, and surprisingly sharp satire with rowdy comedy and excellent chemistry between its leads.
- Which films are like 21 Jump Street?
- Films with a similar feel include The Other Guys, 21 Jump Street, Superbad, and The Heat.
- How long is 21 Jump Street?
- 21 Jump Street runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch 21 Jump Street?
- In United States, 21 Jump Street streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Starz Apple TV channel.
