Review of 22 Jump Street (2014) by Forrestgump1 — 30 Jul 2014

Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill..such an odd ball pairing in every way shape or form. A buff macho, and dull headedness, mixed with a brainy, textual and lame counterpart. Who would think this pairing could, and most importantly, should work. Their names; Chris Lord and Phil Lord, the creative duo behind the fresh and lively revival of the series that made Johnny Depp famous.

In contrast of course I'm speaking in regards to the highly successful 2012 sleeper hit "21 Jump Street". A buddy cop action comedy, that knew no boundaries and greatly stumbled where others have gone before, and all the same felt original, unique and it was very, very funny. I can't say the same for it's uptight, overly obsessive sequel. Amply titled "22 Jump Street". (In case you're wondering, they moved across the street).

Sure we have the original team on board for more mischief and mayhem. Doing almost word for word the exact same thing. "Do what you did the first time...and everyone's happy". I can say, to an extent that this approach works, and for many moviegoers they will appreciate it. I just missed the improvisation and flamboyance that made it's predecessor memorable. Surprises at every corner. Granted, "22 Jump Street" has enough surprises, comedic wit, and action to make it mildly enjoyable for the audience it's strictly geared towards. Fans looking for a decent follow-up, should look no further. Because, there is a lot of the same, and nothing else.

Schmidt and Jenko are back. Promising on the goodwill from the last one "you two .. are going to college" and finally we are made good on this promise. There is, of course, a new synthetic drug at MC State where the two must, evade into the personal lives of their fellow classmates, and neighbors, or "Infiltrate the dealer...find the supplier". To describe it blunty.

Arguably, the best notion about the screenplay, penned by Josh Mccall and Jonah Hill was it's ability to take Schmidt and Jenko's relationship farther than before. It's probably best to pick up a copy of "21 Jump St" before seeing it's sequel, as there are many references that you may have forgotten. Rest assured for fans not familiar with the first one, the film opens with a funny recap of the events that took place on "21 Jump Street". While some things never change, the fauq identities "Doug" and "Brad" McQuaid are still in tact. Channing Tatum's Brad gets to experience the popular side of things now, while Jonah Hill's Doug sits on the sidelines, literally. The two sort of branch out, and do their thing. "Brad" gets to live his dreams of playing Football, and maybe one day drive that lamborghini. In addition "Doug" is playing the opposite of his post "high school days" there is no charismatic Dave Franco to lean on this time.

The action set pieces are actually quite impressive. I was in tuned more with the plot this time around then I was previously, which is a good thing. I guess. Did I really wanna be motivated by an intricate of plot points? not entirely. Will I take em? sure, why not. Never is it more diverse than it needs to be. The jokes kind of up the ante a little bit. There are two or three laugh out loud jokes, instead of having the same consistency and flow the original had. Believe me. when "22 Jump Street" is funny, it's pretty comical all the same.

In addition, the softness that Tatum brings to Jenko is like a teddy bear. You can't be mad or angry ever, because he is just sensitive. There is a good bit about how, Jenko takes a Sexuality class.. and all of sudden becomes an advocate for gay rights. "I said a lot of gay slurs in high school" he refers to his partner, to which Hill responds amicably "yeah most of them directed at me". These are the scenes that propel the film. That goodwill unfortunately lags after about the first hour. If you can believe it, the best jokes in the film actually belong to Ice Cube, who returns as the loud mouth, and stereotypical police chief. The best joke lies between him and Jonah Hill's character, I won't spoil it for you, however, it's a great joke worth the price of admission alone.

In the end, of course the budget is obviously bigger, and, as with most, sequels usually tend to overdo it a tad. Phil Lord and Chris Miller take the time with certain advancements, but are given a slew of extras that, was underutilized. Rarely is a sequel good, and it's even more rare to be better than it's predecessor. I can say that "22 Jump Street" tries it's best, and never succeeds. Jonah Hill and Tatum are great together. The two have remarkable on screen chemistry. When you have a film as golden as "21 Jump Street" it's always going to be tough to top it. While my sheer opinion won't sway anyone from seeing this film. Sadly, "22 Jump Street" is another sequel in a long line, that has failed to live up to it's already high standards set before it.

C+.

By: Nate Adams.

Directed By: Phil Lord, and Chris Miller.

Rated: R.

Runtime: 118 mins.

Studio: Sony.

Release Date: June 13th 2014.

Thanks For Stopping By.