22 Jump Street Review

Confident comedy

Film review by Isaac Handelman

“Nobody cared about the Jump Street reboot,” Deputy Chief Hardy declares to buddy cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) near the start of 22 Jump Street, before clarifying, “but you got lucky.” Whether or not it was dumb luck that landed the Jump Street property in the favor of paying audiences, the booming success of 2012’s out-of-nowhere comedic reboot of the 80s television series has found itself the harbinger of a franchise. 22 Jump Street is a film that understands what it means to be a successor, and it utilizes this understanding to become a true cinematic anomaly: a good comedy sequel.

Rather than doing so by tossing conventions out the window, 22 Jump Street chooses instead to subvert cliches by adhering to them in clever, unexpected ways, while throwing in a myriad of unexpected twists on the formula. Take the setup, for instance: Schmidt and Jenko are causing too much trouble on the streets, so their supervisor sends them back to undercover duty, this time at college instead of high school. Their headquarters has been moved across the street to 22 Jump Street due to a buyback of the original building, a fact that is repeatedly relayed to the audience in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

This sort of self-aware humor can be found all throughout 22 Jump Street. The film constantly mocks its own existence as a sequel, never quite breaking the fourth wall, but coming ever closer as it pokes barely-veiled fun at itself, and at sequels and cinema conventions in general.

All of this surprisingly intelligent humor is contained within a surprisingly compelling narrative that manages to expand and explore the relationship of partners Schmidt and Jenko in some genuinely meaningful ways. The enormous chemistry of Hill and Tatum certainly helps to convince audiences of their connection, and elicits plenty of bromantic laughs. The effectiveness of this duo is ultimately what elevates 22 Jump Street into memorable territory; it’s clear almost whenever Hill and Tatum are seen together that they’re having loads of fun, and the giddy excitement that the two display at every turn infectiously bleeds off the screen.

Of course, the two main players are backed up by a solid supporting cast, with the standout being Ice Cube in an expanded role as Captain Dickson. Without spoiling some of the fun surprises that Jump Street offers up, Ice Cube’s presence is a hugely entertaining one that elicits some of the film’s biggest laughs.

Despite the film’s similar structure and basic adherence to the formula of the original, 22 Jump Street should not be mistaken for a retread; it manages to feel quite distinct from its predecessor, both in terms of comedy and narrative.

That said, the strength of the film’s central conflict, which involves Schmidt and Jenko rooting out the source of a new drug called WHYPHY that has been sweeping the halls of MC State, unfortunately hits its weakest stretch during the film’s comedic dry spell. Though 22 Jump Street rarely fails to fuel smiles, it does falter in terms of delivering hearty laughs during the twenty-or-so minutes directly preceding its finale. Over the course of this stretch, audience interest will be tested as the film tries to sustain itself mainly on its drug-bust story, which proves to be among the least compelling elements in the film.

Thankfully, the hilarity and the Schmidt-Jenko chemistry are cranked back up again for a tremendously funny climax that delivers the laughs and the character moments in spades. Furthermore, it’s all capped off by one of the most hilarious, elaborate credit sequences in recent memory.

Ultimately, 22 Jump Street is able to do good as a comedy sequel by acknowledging what’s usually wrong with comedy sequels, and then by embracing those flaws instead of trying desperately to distance itself from them. The film may walk a fine line between self-deprecating and self-indulgent, but it ultimately comes off as self-assured -- and, most importantly, very funny.