22 Jump Street

"You ready for a lifetime of being badass motherf***ers?" Jenko asks Schmidt at one point in the series.

Well Jenko, if Phil Lord and Christopher Miller keep making movies as well as they are, we may just see that lifetime.

22 Jump Street is obviously the sequel to the surprise hit, 21 Jump Street from 2012. That movie has grown to acquire a huge following since its release and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't agree that it's probably one of the Top 3 comedies in the last 5 years. Even to this day, after several viewings, I'm still in tears half the time when I watch it. Since then, Miller and Lord have done some other stuff, mainly this year's fantastic, The LEGO Movie and there really are no hotter comedic directors than them right now.

So the ball had to stop rolling at some point right?
Probably so. But thankfully that movie IS NOT 22 Jump Street because it is every bit as good as the original.


"Right in the crack!"

Now, to be completely honest, I'm fairly lenient on sequels to comedies. I'm definitely not as harsh as many people are on The Hangover Part II (although I do admit to far overrating Part III) and I thought Anchorman 2 was also nearly as strong as the first (and I still do). So trust me when I say that I'm trying to right my "wrongs" and almost be overly critical of 22 Jump Street but even still, I can't deny how much fun I just had in the theater and how damn hard I just laughed.

I can't even. Too funny

Many of the qualities that made the original so special and outlandish are back in full force this time around: the witty and non-stop script, the bromantic chemistry between Hill and Tatum, fun plot lines, a startlingly good original score, and just an overall inventiveness in the comedic realm. The movie continues to poke fun at itself thanks to police chief Nick Offerman and the film continuously mocks how it has essentially the same plot as the first one. It's something that bothered far more people than I thought it would with Hangover Part II, so it's interesting to see a film call itself out repeatedly here, including in a pretty funny post credits scene.

The script is as funny as ever and I am simply blown away that the guys who thought up this raunchy, R-rated, expletive-filled comedy are also the ones who kept it PG, but nearly as funny for The LEGO Movie. Simply put, these two are at the top of their game right now. By the laws of movie statistics, they will eventually put out a stinker, but at the rate they are going, that might be a long ways off. There are tons of one-liners, many of which I missed due to the uproarious laughter in my jam-packed theater. The situational comedy is also spot on, and dare I say even better this time around. Schmidt's constant "walk of shames" across the college campus had me rolling. The physical humor overplayed the fat jokes a tad much this time around, but makes up for it in spades with other gags.

Basically sums up their relationship

Suns out guns out. Literally

Also better than ever is the chemistry between Tatum and Hill. The movie plays a lot on their relationship, even more than the original, and it's quality stuff. At first I was worried that 22 Jump Street would tread old ground here, which it does slightly, but for the most part, the issues within this bromance are not only hilarious, but sometimes touching. Hill and Tatum's comedic timing is spot on and they are quickly becoming one of the funniest duos in Hollywood. I think that the side cast is much weaker this time around; really the only significant detriment for me between the films. Dave Franco and Rob Riggle are confined to one scene that can be seen in the trailers and Brie Larson is nowhere to be found. Whereas they played a large role in that film, the side cast of 22 is mostly background fodder without many funny things to do. YouTuber Jimmy Tatro does a great job though and I laughed at several of his gags. I've been following him on YouTube for some time now so it's good to see him get a break into the comedy world. But I digress because as big as that complaint is, there is one factor that more than makes up for it and that is ICE CUBE. He was comedic gold in the first one and despite that, he is easily the most improved aspect of the sequel with some downright tear-inducing scenes. I don't want to give anything away but let's just say that there's a "twist" with regards to him.

22 Jump Street is an achievement, plain and simple. Maybe not in the grand scheme of cinema but more so for its creators, Lord and Miller. This now marks FOUR great films in a row for them, 3 of which I have reviewed and given nearly perfect scores (I never did see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). They've seemingly accomplished the impossible by giving us a worthy sequel to an original comedy that, let's be honest, didn't need to be made in the first place. It may not surpass the first, at least not after one initial viewing, but it certainly matches it laugh for laugh.

Had you asked me a few years back if I thought a reboot/reimaging of 21 Jump Street would have been good I would have most likely told you, "Hell no!"

Now though, in 2014, it seems that all I can think about after seeing 22 Jump Street is A) when is Miller and Lord's next movie out and B) when is 23 Jump Street coming?

CONS:

• Some of the jokes are repeated too often. One "old" joke about Jonah Hill gets particularly grating
• The plot and gags do end up retreading old ground from time to time. Mostly its hilarious the second time around, but sometimes it's obvious they were just trying to relive previous glories
• A much, much weaker supporting cast this time around. Franco, Riggle, and Larson are sorely missed
• A handful of jokes that fall flat

PROS:

• Lord and Miller remain at the top of their game...and hilarity ensues
• A sharp, quick script full of great one-liners
• All delivered with near-perfect comedic timing by Hill, Tatum, and Cube
• Speaking of Ice Cube, he wins the "Most Improved Player" award. Some of the funniest scenes of the year
• Tatum and Hill's chemistry remains intact and we continue to love their characters
• Well done physical, verbal, and situational comedy
• That original score is pretty dang good. I remember it surprising me in the first film as well
• Some well designed, if not generic, action sequences
• Funny end credits scenes
• Fun, funny, and charming for the entirety of its 112 minute run time

Rath's Review Score: 9.5/10