21 Jump Street (2012)

Most people think so. 78% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics agree, scoring it 77%.

When cops Schmidt and Jenko join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high school students. They trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, and set out to shut down a dangerous drug ring. But, as time goes on, Schmidt and Jenko discover that high school is nothing like it was just a few years earlier -- and, what's more, they must again confront the teenage terror and anxiety they thought they had left behind. Wikipedia ↗

21 Jump Street is a 2012 American buddy cop action comedy directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as Schmidt and Jenko, two former high school classmates — Schmidt the nerd, Jenko the jock — who became unlikely friends at the police academy and are now assigned to an undercover unit operating out of the revived 21 Jump Street program, posing as high school students to infiltrate a drug ring. The comedy is driven by their discovery that high school social dynamics have completely changed since their graduation — Schmidt's sensitivity and environmental awareness make him popular while Jenko's aggressive jock persona is now considered uncool, forcing both men to confront their unresolved adolescent insecurities.

Channing Tatum's comedic timing was a revelation, demonstrating range that his action and romantic roles hadn't hinted at, while Jonah Hill's co-writing and producing role gave the film a personal investment that elevated the material. Ice Cube was perfectly cast as the perpetually angry Captain Dickson. 21 Jump Street earned $201 million worldwide on a $42 million budget and revitalized the buddy cop comedy genre.