21 Jump Street. Hill's Morton Schmidt and Tatum's Greg Jenko meet other characters in the course of their undercover operation.
Some personalities like Eric Molson present clear displays of intelligence. The brains of other characters like Mr. Gordon are harder to size up. The folks audiences meet in 21 Jump Street present their intelligence in their actions.
Mr. Gordon
Chris Parnell's Mr. Gordon is one of the teachers in 21 Jump Street. He teaches drama and audiences see him when Schmidt meets Molly Tracey and in their preparation for the school play. He presents his level of intelligence in these moments.
When Mr. Gordon is lecturing his class and goes on a tangent about spending time with Willie Nelson, he shows his absent-mindedness. When Schmidt ruins the play, Mr. Gordon looks dumbfounded debating whether or not he should stand there or take action. His inability to see the clear answer underscores his lack of wits.
Ms. Griggs
Ellie Kemper's Ms. Griggs is one of the less developed characters in 21 Jump Street. She is Jenko's science teacher, and audiences see her in class and as a chaperone at the prom. In almost all of her scenes, she demonstratively represses her intense attraction to Jenko in a running gag.
Some fans say Ms. Griggs is one of Ellie Kemper's most lovable roles. However, she isn't the smartest character viewers see on screen. She is a science teacher, a role in which intelligence is implicit. However, she can't tell that Jenko is a full-grown man. She shows her lack of emotional intelligence in her inability to suppress her vocalizations of attraction to Jenko. Ms. Griggs is funny but isn't the brightest teacher.
Mr. Walters
Rob Riggle plays Mr. Walters, a school Phys Ed teacher. Audiences meet him when he catches Jenko and Schmidt after they take drugs to remain undercover. At the end of the film, it's revealed that he is the supplier of drugs at the school.
Mr. Walters' smarts are implicated in his position as a drug supplier. He outsmarts Jenko and Schmidt as he was right under their noses during the entire operation. However, he isn't the smartest character. When Jenko and Schmidt are incoherently on drugs in the hallway, he believes them when he is told they aren't.
Captain Dickson
Ice Cube plays Captain Dickson in , one of the entertainer's highest-rated movies. He is Jenko and Schmidt's boss. Audiences see him when the protagonists check in about their undercover operation. He also lays out the plot of the film when he explains the operation to the team of police officers.
Captain Dickson is articulate as he lays out instructions to Jenko and Schmidt and tells them about the new synthetic drug plaguing the local high school. However, he shows his lack of emotional intelligence in his frequent outbursts and his short fuse.
Greg Jenko
Jenko is one of the main characters in 21 Jump Street. He is presented as a less intelligent character. He takes longer than his classmates to graduate high school. When he is undercover in science class, he has a hard time understanding the material and taking a quiz.
However, Jenko showcases his intelligence in his actions. He comes up with the idea to gather information from Eric's phone and pulls off the plan without Eric finding out. He thinks quickly when he gets Schmidt to stake out Eric's drug deal after seeing him carrying a piñata.
Molly Tracey
Brie Larson's Molly is one of the most likable characters in 21 Jump Street. She develops a friendship with Schmidt and it becomes a budding romance. Molly is upset when she discovers he has been a police officer throughout their relationship. However, she forgives him after his apology.
Molly is articulate. She shows her intelligence in the way she speaks and her quick-thinking humor. She shows her emotional intelligence in her forgiveness of and frank conversations with Schmidt. However, she is unable to tell that Schmidt and Jenko are adult men, despite the clues they present in their appearance and strange behavior.
Eric Molson
Dave Franco's Eric is both Schmidt's friend and an integral target in his and Jenko's undercover operation. Eric is one of the main dealers at the high school. Schmidt and Jenko meet him after they buy drugs from him to confirm his criminal activity. After they spend time together, Eric warms up to Schmidt.
Eric shows his intelligence in several ways. He is a smart businessman and makes Jenko and Schmidt take drugs in front of him to prove they aren't cops. He is one of the few personalities that are suspicious of the two officers, despite the many red flags they wave as non-highschool students. However, he is ultimately outsmarted by Schmidt.
Morton Schmidt
Schmidt is one of the protagonists in 21 Jump Street. He is an outcast in high school but becomes well-loved when he returns for the undercover operation. He gains newfound confidence that sometimes makes him a bad friend to Jenko. However, his police work and actions in his personal life underscore his intelligence.
Schmidt manages to outsmart nearly everyone he interacts with undercover. Molly and Eric don't discover he is a police officer until he tells Molly and she reveals his secret to Eric and the other criminals he goes after. He shows a lack of emotional intelligence in the way he treats Jenko after his popularity grows. However, his calculated actions and critical thinking help complete his assignment and leave him mostly unscathed.
