Channing Tatum’s Best Movie Is Leaving Netflix
Channing Tatum's 21 Jump Street is leaving Netflix on May 1.
Channing Tatum is one of the most reliable funny guys in Hollywood, which is why we loved seeing him pop up in Bullet Train alongside Brad Pitt. That cameo was a simple reminder that Tatum needs to headline more comedies. And while his best comedy ever, 21 Jump Street, is currently streaming on Netflix, What’s On Netflix reports that the film will leave the streaming service on May 1.
If you don’t already know, Channing Tatum’s 21 Jump Street is a cinematic adaptation of the popular ‘80s show of the same name. The general premise of both the show and the film is that youthful police officers go undercover in high school to catch criminals that other cops can’t bust. Back in the day, the original show was notable for helping to make Johnny Depp into a household name and cementing him as more than just the pretty boy who died so memorably in the first Nightmare on Elm Street film.
Channing Tatum’s film version of these police adventures pairs him with Jonah Hill, and the two have amazing chemistry together. Audiences generally dug the throwback vibe these two brought to the movie, and the whole thing felt like an old-school buddy cop movie (like Beverly Hills Cop mixed with a teen comedy). Critics were also generally impressed by this film: it currently has an 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics drawing special attention to how deftly the movie serves as a satire of nostalgia.
One reason the Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill comedy is so funny is that it was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the directorial duo that would go on to direct The Lego Movie (which also turned out to be a keen satire targeting our nostalgia for pop culture). These two also directed Solo: A Star Wars Story before Disney gave them the axe for making it too much of an improvisational comedy, bringing in Ron Howard to provide a more traditional (and arguably much more boring) Star Wars film. While these two typically work together on writing duties as well, it was Phil Lord alone who wrote the script for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and both of them produced the animated movie.
In other words, it’s not that surprising that a legendary pair of comedic directors delivered a funny movie, but what really shocked audiences was just how funny Channing Tatum could be. Previous Hollywood movies generally tried to make Tatum into an action star (hell, he was at the center of the first G.I. Joe live-action movie before effectively getting replaced by Dwayne Johnson in the sequel). Tatum still shines in the action-centric sequences of 21 Jump Street, but it’s his perfect timing in comedic scenes that you’ll remember long after the credits roll.
While 21 Jump Street was never destined to win any Academy Awards, it did win several awards that focus more on general audience appeal. The film was nominated for seven MTV Movie Awards and took home one of them, and it was nominated for three Teen Choice Awards and took home two of them. Interestingly, both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were nominated for Choice Movie: Actor Comedy but only Tatum won the award, and the simple fact that Tatum won out over a veteran comedian helps showcase how funny he really is in this movie.
The movie has stayed in our pop culture consciousness, and this is partially due to the fact that it had a successful sequel that was rather unimaginatively titled 22 Jump Street. Additionally, while they all fizzled out, there were numerous plans to expand this franchise through everything from a third movie to a female-centric reboot (hey, it worked so well for Ghostbusters) to an insane-sounding crossover with the Men In Black.
Most recently, controversial musician Kanye West, who has made several antisemitic remarks in the past, claimed that Jonah Hill was so funny in this movie that it made the singer “like Jewish people again.”
Ultimately, 21 Jump Street is a movie with a little something for everybody. Whether you enjoy buddy cop hijinx, fun action, or even police procedurals, you’ll enjoy seeing Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill do their thing. But we’re just going to say this now: if these characters ever do end up in a forced spinoff with Men In Black, please neuralyze us so we can just go back and enjoy the original film (at least, while it’s still on Netflix).
