21 Jump Street (Film)

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"We're reviving a cancelled undercover police program from the '80s and revamping it for modern times. See, the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity and are completely out of ideas. So all they do now is recycle shit from the past and hope that nobody notices."

— Dep. Chief Hardy

The 2012 loose film adaptation of the late eighties series stars Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), two screw-up rookie cops who get reassigned to an undercover program where "Justin Beaver, Miley Cyrus lookin' mothas" are sent into high schools. It's an admitted attempt to avoid putting in creative effort by digging up old programs and rehashing them in the hopes that nobody will notice... er, police programs, that is.

Schmidt and Jenko's assignment is to find the makers of a new synthetic drug at a local high school before it spreads to other schools. Schmidt, who was never popular at his own school, receives the cool kid fake profile and gets too into his role. Jenko, who was the popular kid at his school but a failure at everything else, gets the nerdy kid profile and chafes under not understanding what is cool anymore.

When it comes to the actual film's rehashed premise, people did notice, including the writers and directors, who acknowledge the absurdity of the situation and play it for worthwhile laughs. On top of its own premise, the film pokes fun at the action movie genre and any high school movie where people only hang out in the same easily identifiable cliques. i.e. all of them.

A sequel was released, 22 Jump Street, in which the duo go undercover as college students.

Compare with Superbad, Hot Fuzz, and The Heat.

The film provides examples of:

Actor Allusion:
- Ice Cube's verse from "Straight Outta Compton" plays as he talks to Jenko and Schmidt.
  - Speaking of that song, it wouldn't be the only early-2010s comedy movie starring Jonah Hill that would use "Straight Outta Compton."
- When planning for their party, Schmidt and Jenko jokingly wonder how they are going to get alcohol, since neither one has a fake ID, a reference to Super Bad. Jonah Hill and Dave Franco were also high school classmates in that film too.
- When Schmidt and Jenko are being briefed on HFS, two usernames can be seen as 'Chanchan' and 'Brielar'.
- A partial example. Molly is starring in a production of Peter Pan. Brie Larson had auditioned to play Wendy in the 2003 version.
- Johnny Depp in a magnificent moment of Self-Deprecation, complains about having to wear fake noses.
Affably Evil: Eric. He may be a drug dealer, but that doesn't mean he can't be a very nice guy.
Affectionate Parody: Yes, the movie lampoons the show's premise to hell and back, but the writers clearly know way too much about the original series for this to be anything else.
- Also a parody of Continuity Reboots.
All Bikers are Hells Angels: Invoked with the One-Percenter gang.
Alpha Bitch: Two cops that are undercover as cheerleaders act like this at Jump Street.
Answer Cut: When Schmidt and Jenko are planning their party at Schmidt's parents house:
Schmidt: Wait, how are we going to buy alcohol?
Jenko: Dude, I don't have a fake ID.
Both laugh hysterically because they're both over the age of 21, next cut shows them running out of a liquor store with carts filled with booze.
Schmidt: How are we going to get drugs for the party?
Jenko: Oh no.
Both laugh hysterically because they're cops, next cut shows them raiding the evidence locker for drugs to bring to the party.
Asian and Nerdy: Roman, one of Jenko's nerd friends.
Back-to-Back Poster: Done in the poster, with partner agents Schmidt and Jenko posed back to back in tuxes.
Becoming the Mask:
- While pretending to be Schmidt's brother, Jenko comes to think of the Schmidts as his family.
- Jenko calls Schmidt out on becoming too involved with the suspects because he's enjoying being part of the popular crowd & subsequently jeopardising the case.
Belated Injury Realization: After he knocks out the leader of the Kennedy High gang, Schmidt doesn't notice that he got stabbed until Jenko points it out to him.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: Subtly occurs between Jenko and Fugazy. Even though Fugazy mocks Jenko and Schmidt while boasting about her successes, she finds Jenko attractive and the two were making out at the end of the movie.
Big Bad Ensemble: Mr. Walters and Eric are running the drug ring.
- Domingo and his gang (The One-Percenters) are a lot worse than Eric and Mr. Walters. The gang is far more capable of violence and most definitely got what they deserved in the end.
Big Jerk on Campus: Jenko initially tries to be the popular kid by randomly beating up a nerdy kid, only for everyone to think he's an asshole.
Blipvert: The credits.
Born in the Wrong Century: Or decade, in this case. When Schmidt was originally in High School, he had trouble fitting in. A decade later, nerdy things and being more socially accepting is trendy. Suddenly, he has no problems making friends in High School. He even acknowledges that he wishes he was born ten years later. By contrast, Jenko was born at in the right time for when he would be considered cool, and finds the high school environment years later completely baffling.
Book Ends: The end credits open and close with renditions of the show's theme song.
Brainless Beauty: Played straight with Jenko in the beginning of the film. Eventually it's subverted by the end of the film.
Brains and Brawn: Schmidt and Jenko are a classic example. Schmidt helps Dumb Jock Jenko study for the written parts of the police academy exams, and Jenko trains fat nerd Schmidt to pass the physical parts.
Breast Attack: When fighting Schmidt at the party, the Kennedy leader accidentally hits Molly in the boob and gets slapped for it.
Brick Joke:
- Jenko insists that Schmidt carry his backpack with only one strap as all the cool kids did in their day. When they get to school, everyone's using both straps.
- Jenko encourages his nerd friends to attend the prom and describes their entrance with Disturbed Doves. He actually brings them out when they do attend prom together.
- Jenko finally throws up during the prom shootout.
- Korean Jesus appears in the ending credits.
- A very minor one, but when Schmidt and Jenko are engaging the bikers for weed, one of them says, "if they're cops, [he's] DEA." and gets a chuckle from the biker next to him. Cut to the end of the movie, and it's revealed that they are both undercover DEA agents. See Remake Cameo below
- Jenko and Schmidt always park their car on the handicap spot to look cool. It ends up getting impounded right when they need it for a chase.
Bromantic Comedy: Edging on Ho Yay.
Schmidt: [to Jenko] I fucking cherish you.
Cannot Spit It Out: Schmidt initially has a lot of trouble asking Molly to the prom.
Casual Danger Dialogue: Parodied — when Schmidt & Jenko affirm to a disbelieving Hanson & Penhall (who have been undercover in Domingo's gang for years with the D.E.A.) that they're undercover by noting they're with Jump Street, Hanson promptly forgets about the gang pointing their guns at them as he mentions that he & Penhall used to be with Jump Street... And is promptly shot in the neck.
Celebrity Paradox: N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton", which features Ice Cube, plays over a montage which also features Ice Cube.
Chekhov's Classroom: Jenko's newfound knowledge of chemistry comes in handy during the climax.
Clique Tour: Subverted when Schmidt and Jenko are surveying the high school they're infiltrating. With the duo being nearly a decade removed from high school they are, of course, unfamiliar with the drastically different social climate of early-2010s high school.
Jenko: Okay, those are Goths, those are nerds...
[they pass by a clique of hipsters]
Jenko: I don't know what those are...
[then they pass by a clique of Weeaboo kids]
Schmidt: What the fuck are those things?
Cluster F-Bomb: This is a very foul-mouthed movie.
Dawson Casting: But of course. Both in-universe and out of it. Subverted in that all the suspects keep commenting that Schmidt and Jenko look really old for teenagers. This also counts as Lamp Shading how in the TV series actors such as Peter DeLuise never actually did look like teens, just young adults with less-lined faces. In real life, they would have been spotted as "narcs" immediately.
Death by Cameo: Hanson and Penhall reveal they've been undercover DEA agents for years, then get shot repeatedly.
Decon-Recon Switch: To the original series. The film knows how to reboot an old show into modern day. It is a complete middle finger to the original series by making it more of a raunchy buddy cop comedy instead of a teen drama but reconstructs it back together by using all of the same tropes and updates them.
Deconstructor Fleet: The movie not just plays with the premise of the original series but also deconstructs reboots, high school comedies, and buddy cop movies.
Deconstructive Parody: This movie itself is one affectionate "fuck you" to the original show. It deconstructs every one of its tropes to show just how progressive high school has become.
Deliberate Values Dissonance: Jenko finds out the hard way that, in the age of Glee, environmentalism, and a more pro-tolerance atmosphere, his alpha-male jock routine puts him a lot lower on the Popularity Food Chain than it did in the early-mid 2000s. Instead, it's Schmidt, the former high school nerd, whose personality and lifestyle are more in line with what's considered cool in The New '10s. In the most glaring instance, Jenko discovers that while mockingly calling someone "gay" in the previous decade was a common, if juvenile, insult, in the current climate it's discriminatory and completely unacceptable.
Demoted to Extra: Hanson, Penhall, and Hoffs do appear in the film but only as cameos.
Denser and Wackier: A wacky, buddy-cop meta comedy adapted from a show which was much, much more dramatic in tone, commenting on subjects like rape, drug abuse, prostitution, etc.
Disturbed Doves: Invoked Trope. Jenko insists that this is needed to make the perfect prom entrance.
Divine Race Lift: Played with. As 21 Jump Street was once a Korean church, Schmidt prays to Korean Jesus.
Drugs Are Bad: But they do have a part in the life of a professional actor (says the drama teacher).
Dumb Muscle: Jenko, at least at the beginning of the movie, where he's a jock who's failing all his classes.
Every Car Is a Pinto: Schmidt and Jenko are surprised when this turns out not to be Truth in Television, after two close calls with a truck hauling propane tanks and a gasoline tanker. Except with a chicken truck, of all things.
Everyone Loves Blondes: Molly, the designated Love Interest in the film. Fugazy can be seen as this too, as a deleted scene shows she's sexually attracted to Jenko and she makes out with him at the end of the movie.
Evil vs. Evil: The climactic chase where Mr. Walters is being pursued by both the protagonists and the One-Percenters (the latter being because he stole their money).
Eye Patch Of Power: The leader of the One-Percenters sports one after he is caught in an explosion.
555: The number to call for H.F.S.
Flock of Wolves: After Jenko and Schmidt succeed in finding the supplier of HFS and end up in a meeting with the One-Percenters, they recognize them as cops almost immediately. The leader of the One-Percenters has one of their members kill them, but before he does, he reveals himself to be an undercover agent of the DEA, along with another of the One-Percenters.
Foreshadowing:
- Hanson's first line is "If you're a cop, then I'm D.E.A." He is, in fact, undercover for the D.E.A.
  - Jenko says that the drug tastes like BBQ Cool Ranch. Mr. Walters, who is eventually revealed to be the supplier, is seen eating Doritos throughout the movie.
  - Even more so, it's revealed that HFS was made from Cool Ranch Doritos and a mixture of drugs from the chemistry lab.
- Jenko threatens to beat the dick off of one of the bikers he arrested. Near the end, the gym teacher, Mr. Walters, gets his dick shot off.
- Throughout the film, you can see parking tickets accumulate on the windshield of Schmidt and Jenko's car. Eventually, when they actually do run into an emergency where they need to use their car, the wheels are locked by the police.
- "I would've tooken a bullet for you." In the climax, Jenko takes a bullet, though he survives.
Friends with Benefits: Eric and Molly are in a casual relationship, and when Schmidt shows interest in her, Eric doesn't mind him taking her away from him at first.
Fun with Acronyms: The drug, HFS — Holy Fucking Shit.
Genre-Busting: The film is a Deconstructive Parody of the original series and combines it with buddy cop films and high school coming of age movies from the 80s and The New 10s.
Genre Shift: The movies tone is drastically different from the series. The show was a police procedural drama set in the 1980s while the movie is a more light-hearted and wacky buddy cop meta comedy that takes place in the 2010s.
Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: The only reason why Eric is involved in dealing drugs. Subverted later on when Mr. Walters reveals the real reason is he caught Eric smoking marijuana and blackmailed him.
Gilligan Cut: Schmidt and Jenko enter the police force expecting "a lifetime of being badass motherfuckers". Instead, they're put on park patrol duty.
Good Is Not Nice: Schmidt, Jenko, and Captain Dickson.
Groin Attack:
- Mr. Walters getting his dick shot off in the climax.
- Schmidt kicks a guy in the nuts.
Hero of Another Story: Two of the One-Percenters reveal themselves to be undercover agents for the DEA. Turns out they've been undercover in the gang for five years where they've had their own adventures gaining the other members' trust. There's references to weddings being attended and pranks being pulled as well as character arcs for the two agents that mirror those of the film's actual protagonists. Granted considering they're Hanson and Penhall, the main characters of the tv show, they've been having adventures for over 20 years at this point.
Hollywood Law:
- You only have to read suspects the Miranda Rights when you're questioning them, not in order to arrest them or get the charges to stick. Also, cops are forbidden from reciting the Miranda Rights from memory to prevent errors.
- Jenko's "wiretap" of Eric's phone is illegal for a variety of reasons.
Heal It with Booze: Molly pours some booze on Schmidt's stab wound on his back at his house party after Jenko pulls the knife out.
Heartbeat Soundtrack: Plays when Schmidt asks his neighbor to the prom in the beginning of the movie.
Held Back in School: Jenko. Twice, apparently.
High-School Dance: The prom actually, and for Jenko it's Serious Business.
Hope Spot: When Jenko and Schmidt find themselves with their cover blown and unarmed with the One-Percenters about to kill them two of the members reveal themselves to be Tom Hanson and Doug Penhall, who then force the gang to drop their guns and give Jenko and Schmidt theirs back. Unfortunately, they then get distracted when Jenko tells them that he and Schmidt are with Jump Street, giving the gang the opportunity to pick up their guns and shoot them repeatedly.
Hourglass Plot: In high school Schmidt was the loser geek while Jenko was the popular Jerk Jock. Obviously, the two didn't get along. But after becoming friends as police officers and partners, they are assigned to go undercover by returning to high school. Schmidt is worried that history will repeat itself, but the two end up with each other's identity, and with the social climate having changed since they were last in high school, it is Schmidt that becomes poplar, and Jenko is left hanging out with the nerds. This ends up throwing a wrinkle in their relationship.
Hunk: Jenko is noted to be a "classic handsome, none of that hipster 'Am I a girl? Am I a guy? I dunno'."
Hurt Foot Hop: On his way out of being dismissed from the principal's office, Jenko kicks a waste bucket. Schmidt, viewing all this and tries the same only to end up failing to kick the "right place", hopping and howling in pain.
I Resemble That Remark!: Jenko complains about his cover identity's transcript saying he's been held back a year. Schmidt points out that Jenko actually was held back two years.
Jenko: Just because it’s a fake back story, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt my feelings.
In Name Only: Other than being about twenty-somethings entering a program to go undercover in a high school, the film is very different from the original series. This is justified as the movie is meant to be more of a Denser and Wackier Stealth Sequel and not a remake.
- Despite having a different tone and cast of characters, the movie does manage to be a respectful adaption of the series. It takes the shows concept and tropes and sets it in the 2010s, making it an affectionate Deconstructive Parody of the old 21 Jump Street. It also insists that the church stayed the same and that any returning characters be played by their original actor.
Instant Death Bullet: Subverted with Hanson and Penhall saying some last apologies to each other after both are shot very repeatedly, played straight with a One-Percenter that Jenko shoots goes down with no trouble from one shot.
Intoxication Ensues: Schmidt and Jenko take some of the drug, hallucinate Mr. Walters' head turning into different things, and then flip out during their next class.
Invulnerable Knuckles: Averted. Schmidt takes a punch to the gut. Eventually he hits the guy back, then clutches his hand in pain and says "That hurt worse than when he hit me!".
Irony: Former high school nerd Schmidt becomes one of the popular kids while undercover and ex-Jerk Jock Jenko befriends the same kind of geeky kids he used to pick on.
Jerk Jock: Jenko was one of these in high school, and seemed to have this trait still when he went undercover by punching the first person he saw.
Justified Title: The sequel, 22 Jump Street, sees the church bought back by the Koreans, thus forcing the program to move to — you guessed it — 22 Jump Street.
Killed Off for Real: Hanson and Penhall after getting shot to hell. Huge pools of blood gush out of their bodies to drive the point home for fans in doubt.
Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
- The quote at the top of the page that could refer to the program and the movie.
- "And that's the end of act two!" (curtains close)
Lighter and Softer: The movie is way more light-hearted than the TV show it's based on. It takes the same basic concept and plays more like a tongue-in-cheek buddy cop comedy rather than a serious police procedural teen drama.
Lock-and-Load Montage: Parodied — Jenko & Schmidt are simultaneously getting ready for the prom & busting the head of the drug ring, only for Schmidt's mother to interrupt by making them do chores. Cue the two cops mowing the lawn & taking out trash in white tuxedos, before continuing with the montage.
Love at First Sight: Schmidt falls for Molly immediately, but holds himself back due to his job.
Made of Explodium: Subverted during the chase sequence when the most likely things to explode: a gasoline transport vehicle, and a truck carrying propane tanks do not explode from contact. Of course, the subversions go to hell and back when the one thing that does explode is a truck transporting (wait for it)... chickens. Double Subverted when Jenko throws a self-made bomb which initially doesn't explode but finally does – with a huge BOOM.
Miranda Rights: It takes a few tries for Jenko to get these memorized.
Missing White Woman Syndrome: Conversed with Captain Dickson.
Dickson: As you can see, this kid is white. That means people actually give a shit.
Schmidt: Sir, I would like to throw out to you that I would give a shit if he were black.
Mistaken for Racist: Jenko punches a nerd and then tells him to turn off "that gay-ass music", not realizing that using "gay" as an insult is no longer considered acceptable, and promptly learns that the student actually was gay. Schmidt tries to defuse the situation by pointing out that Jenko couldn't have known he was gay as they'd never met, but just manages to make it worse.
Motifs: Covalent bond is mentioned and explained several times. This can be seen as a symbol of at least two things: the friendship between Jenko and Schmidt as well as the fact their strengths complement each other.
Ms. Fanservice: Molly (played by the beautiful Brie Larson) bounces and jiggles a lot when she is in her prom dress. Also, while in no way prominent, Molly's habit of dressing in skirts shows Leg Focus.
Mythology Gag:
- Jenko shares his name with short-lived Captain Richard Jenko of the original series. Word of God is that the Captain is his dad.
- Hanson and Penhall's reveal has plenty of these.
  - In the original show, Hanson hated being made fun of for looking a bit too young for his age. So once he left Jump Street, he decided to go undercover as somebody who looked older.
  - There's also this conversation:
    Domingo: You played saxophone at my sister's wedding, man...
    Hanson: Tough titty. I fucked her too.
  - This also wasn't the first time Penhall went undercover as a biker.
Noodle Incident: Schmidt talks over the drama teacher's reminiscing of his acting career. But we do hear such delights as doing coke with Willie Nelson's horse...
- The original line was "Whitney Houston's niece", but was dubbed over in the wake of Houston's death.
Not-So-Harmless Villain: The bikers are dead serious and not played for comedy at all, being much more serious than the main villains.
Older Than They Look: Schmidt and Jenko are able to pass for high schoolers, despite being in their 20's.
- Not so much Jenko. It becomes a Running Gag of characters pointing out how old he looks.
Only a Flesh Wound: After getting into a fight at the party he and Jenko throw, Schmidt doesn't realize he's been stabbed in the shoulder blade until someone points it out. After getting patched up with what looks like gauze and duct tape, the wound doesn't seem to bother him for the rest of the movie^*. Averted when Jenko gets shot in the shoulder at the end; it takes a while for him to get to his feet, and high-fiving Schmidt aggravates the injury.
Parental Substitute: As the film progresses, Jenko comes to think of Schmidt's family as his own. This becomes more poignant when you realize that, according to Word of God, Jenko is the son of Captain Richard Jenko, who was killed off in the first season of the original series. Greg Jenko would have been very young at the time.
Passing the Torch: The whole point of Hanson and Penhall's cameo was to put closure to the original "McQuaid Brothers", giving Schmidt and Jenko, the new "McQuaid Brothers", their time to shine.
Plato Is a Moron: While high on HFS at band practice, Jenko yells out "Fuck you, Miles Davis!"
Playful Hacker: Zack, who Jenko utilizes to tap into Eric's phone.
Pretty Fly for a White Guy: Schmidt used to be like this in school when he dressed like Eminem.
Prison Rape: Eric fears this the most out of being arrested.
Eric: Do you know what happens to a handsome guy like me in jail? It rhymes with "grape!"
- Made Hilarious in Hindsight when he becomes a victim of this at the hands of Mr. Walters in the sequel.
Rearrange the Song: The original theme during the credits.
Reconstruction: A fairly unusual example. Previous Deconstructions of High School films focused on the failings of Generation X and early millennials. This movie serves to highlight many of the current generations positive traits, while contrasting them with their predecessors (i.e. it's now considered cool to be liberal, accepting of gays, and an environmentalist).
- It also works as a reconstruction of the original series. While the film is a Deconstructive Parody, it also plays straight with a lot of the shows old tropes. This shows that the filmmakers are able to work with what made the show what it was and do it in a new, more modernized way.
Reboot Snark: As Schmidt and Jenko are being briefed on the revived undercover cop program from the '80s they've been put into, Dep. Hardy complains that the guys at the top have run out of ideas and are hoping the younger generation doesn't catch on.
Remake Cameo: Johnny Depp, Peter DeLuise, and Holly Robinson Peete all reprise their roles as Tom Hanson, Doug Penhall, and Judy Hoffs, respectively. It's revealed that Hoffs still works with the police while Hanson and Penhall are now undercover DEA agents.
The Reveal: These two bikers◊ from the One-Percenter gang? Hanson and Penhall.
Sassy Black Woman: Jr. Jr.
Scary Black Man:
- Captain Dickson, portrayed by Ice Cube.
- Domingo, the leader of The One-Percenters.
School Play: Schmidt plays Peter Pan alongside Molly as Wendy.
Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Jenko to Schmidt. They're friends now, though their relationship does get strained until they meet Penhall and Hanson.
Screams Like a Little Girl: Mr. Walters when he spots his severed penis lying on the ground.
Sequel Hook: Following the success of their bust, Schmidt and Jenko are assigned to continue the 21 Jump Street program at a college. 22 Jump Street was released in 2014.
Self-Deprecation: Da Chief makes fun of restarting the 21 Jump Street program, saying that it was done by people stuck in the past who can't come up with any new ideas.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Schmidt and Jenko.
Shout-Out:
- When Schmidt sees an old baby photo of his, he remarks:
  Schmidt: I look like Fred Savage from The Wonder Years...
- After they crack the case, Schmidt and Jenko remark that it's like the ending to Die Hard, but in real life. At that point, Jenko is wearing a white tank top and has been shot in the shoulder, just like McClane.
- When Stephen J. Cannell's name appears in the end credits montage, the background is the memorable vanity plate for his production company, with Cannell at his typewriter and tossing a page over his shoulder.
- During his HFS-inspired science rant, Jenko mentions Unobtainium, a flux capacitor, and a radioactive spider.
- The "Pop Quiznos" section of the final chase (while making an improvised bomb, even) is a Shout-Out to Speed.
- invoked In the video from a student detailing the effects of the HFS drug, the top comment is "I can't masturbate to this."
- "Kneel before Zod."
- The principal's name, Mr. Dadier, is a reference to the Ur-Example of films featuring high school delinquents, Blackboard Jungle, where Glenn Ford plays the idealistic new teacher, Richard Dadier.
- The scene where Schmidt tries to shut up a family friend who almost blows his is similar to a scene in Donnie Brasco.
Shown Their Work: The criminal motorcycle gang are named "One-Percenters." In real-life, "One-Percenters" is a catch-all term for criminal bikers, so called because of studies which have shown that, despite public perception, only one percent of bikers are actually criminals.
Sinister Surveillance: Jenko and his nerd friends tap into Eric's phone and routinely listen in on his conversations to track his drug deals, which Schmidt found questionable. However, this also leads to a rift between the two when Jenko overhears Schmidt openly mocking him.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Dickson.
Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism: The movie leans more on the idealistic end. The film cleverly uses the premise and tropes of the original series to show just how much better present day high schoolers have become since the 80s and '00s.
Smug Snake: Eric by tenfold.
Stealth Sequel: To the original show. First off, Wordof God says that the chapel in the film is the exact same chapel from the show, that was simply leased to a Korean Church◊ and bought back by the police force. Secondly, Wordof God also implies that Jenko is the son of Richard Jenko,◊ the captain of the original team that was killed off midway through the first season. Thirdly, the cameos show that most of the original team is still active.
The Stoner: Schmidt's parents.
String Theory: Schmidt and Jenko presents one displaying the relationships between the students and the dealers, with the supplier indicated by a question mark at the top. After a convoluted explanation:
Capt. Dickson: Who put this together, are you autistic?
Schmidt: It is artistic, sir.
Capt. Dickson: Cut the bullshit. I want to know who's the supplier.
Schmidt: We don't know. That's why there's a question mark on his face. That's not the way his face looks, that's just a question mark.
Talking Is a Free Action: Subverted; Hanson and Penhall end up getting shot because of their talking. Played straight as they're dying.
Take That!:
- Johnny Depp hated working on the show. In order to put closure, he agreed to cameo under the condition that Hanson dies by the end. And that's exactly what happened.
- Jenko's "Fuck you Glee", possibly a response to a Take That! from Glee to Channing Tatum.
Teacher/Student Romance: Mostly averted. Although the AP Chemistry teacher is very obviously hot for Jenko, when she (more or less) spits it out, Jenko reacts with bewilderment and confusion. However, it is revealed in the end credits that they were having wild sex during the time Jenko was high as a kite and he doesn't remember the encounter.
Ms. Griggs: Oh my God! You're like two Hardy Boys in one!
Team Power Walk: Schmidt, Jenko, and the nerds do it at prom. It doesn't look cool, though, since Schmidt and Jenko are the only ones with decent tuxedos.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Surprisingly averted, which is a rarity in the buddy-cop genre. Despite being bullied by Jerk Jock Jenko in high school, Schmidt and his old rival become fast friends when they join the police force, once they realize that they could help improve each other's weaknesses as a team.
Three-Way Sex: Briefly glimpsed during the Wild Teen Party.
Molly: What was the girl in the back doing?
Title Drop: Subverted by Capt. Hardy, who fumbles on the location Schmidt and Jenko are supposed to report to. Though Hanson does refer to Jump Street by its name.
Token Good Teammate: Molly, in the drug-dealing popular kids.
Took a Level in Badass: Schmidt during the movie, as he gains more self-confidence and learns new skills.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Schmidt over the course of the movie, though he gets better.
Training Montage: Used to show Schmidt & Jenko's time in police academy & the development of their friendship.
Twofer Token Minority: Lampshaded, in the person of the gay black kid that Jenko punches.
Two-Teacher School: Only three teachers and a principal are shown.
Villainous Breakdown:
- Eric shows his first signs of his decline when he faces the possibility of being arrested after word gets to him that the One-Percenters were tracked by cops. He starts freaking out once he learns Schmidt and Jenko are said cops and completely loses it once the gunfight begins.
- Mr. Walters has one too. Having his dick shot off would do that.
Visual Pun: The end credits have a few of these. The Director of Photography credit is accompanied by footage of a shooting range, the Editor credit by footage of a tree getting cut down, and the Casting credit by footage of a couch.
Was It All a Lie?: Inverted. Eric asks this when Schmidt's cover as a student is blown.
Wild Teen Party: Schmidt and Jenko throw one to get close to the drug dealers. At one point, they wonder how they are going to get beer for the party, since neither one has a fake ID, then laugh at the idea (which may be a Shout-Out to Superbad).
Wilhelm Scream: One of the bikers during the chase scene on the bridge. And again during the credits.