Dinner and a Movie: '21 Jump Street' Right Address for Laughs

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play bumbling cops Schmidt and Jenko who go undercover and back to high school in "21 Jump Street."

The film is a spinoff of the Fox TV show of the late '80s and early '90s, which helped launch the career of a young Johnny Depp. This fresh rewrite is a pleasant surprise. Our duo, under the supervision of their police captain (played by Ice Cube), investigates a new illegal drug at the local high school. They are obviously too old to be in high school, and it doesn't matter; it's all a part of the gag.

The premise of the movie is preposterous and that is the charm of the film. There are plenty of car-chase scenes, explosions and laughs to occupy your time. The chemistry between the leads is evident, and the payoff for you, the moviegoer, is worth the price of admission.

Jonah Hill, who also helped write the film, is perfectly typecast as the socially-awkward outsider. Channing Tatum is the biggest surprise as a comedic actor. Both do a fine job here as the flick-o-meter gives "21 Jump Street" a four out of five. There are plenty of laughs here, and it was a lot better than what I expected. Let's face it: The original series was kind of a throwaway show to begin with. 

Showtimes: "21 Jump Street" plays at the UA Laguna Village 12 at 12:00 p.m., 1:20 p.m., 2:50 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 7:40 p.m., 8:30 p.m.,  9:50 p.m. and 10:40 p.m.

Dinner: We're not sure about dinner, but we know where we'd go for dessert before a movie about cops. donuts on Laguna Blvd near Target has a mouthwatering variety of the stereotypical police treat—.

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