Director:
Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Cast:
Jonah Hill
Channing Tatum
Ice Cube
Peter Stormare
Rated: R
The comedic chemistry of Hill and Tatum is back in “22 Jump Street” and this time they take on the whole idea of a sequel.
The sequel to the 2012 film continues right after the first one ended. Hill and Tatum, playing undercover cops Schmidt and Jenko once again have trouble out in the field and their police chief decides to send them back to the Jump Street Unit.
There, Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) gives the two the same type of case as last time, where they have to find the dealer and the supplier of a new drug, but this time, it’s on a college campus.
Schmidt and Jenko get to the college and attempt to use the tactics they used last time, however, it turns out this time around may be more difficult, with the drug dealers being harder to find. On top of that, the friendship between the two main protagonists begins to have tension.
“22 Jump Street” has basically the same plot as the first movie, and this flick knows it and embraces it 100 percent. The film has so much fun making a joke out of the fact that it’s a sequel and it does it in a way that’s smart and clever to keep it feeling like a straight comedy rather than just a parody.
The jokes aren’t only focused on the fact that it’s a sequel, though. There are more than plenty of jokes and gags that get really solid laughs, one scene after another.
The humor is made possible through the acting of Hill and Tatum, who once again show off extraordinary comedic chemistry. The timing between these two is spot on and they work together so well that each scene works and feels fresh, despite being so close to the first.
The supporting cast was also enjoyable, especially because of Ice Cube, who was given much more to do this time around thanks to an absolutely hilarious sub-plot. Other funny characters included turn ins from new comers Wyatt Russell and Jillian Bell.
Like any comedy, there are a few jokes that don’t always hit, but for the most part, every scene has something to bring the laughs. The film even puts a hilarious twist on the end credits.
“22 Jump Street” is the funniest movie of the year so far and could be 2014’s best. High 4 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 