Movie Review: "22 Jump Street" Mocks Itself And Has A Blast Doing It.

22 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell, Jillian Bell, and Nick Offerman.
Rated R language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity, and some violence.

Directors Phil Lord & Christopher Miller are at the top of their game. After their surprise hit in 21 Jump Street, followed by a classic animated comedy with this year's The Lego Movie, they've now essentially mastered the comedy sequel with 22 Jump Street, something that cannot be said of most comedy sequels. 22 Jump Street may or may not be better than its predecessor, but the bottom line is that it is a great comedy sequel.


Here is where I usually go into the plot of the movie, but this synopsis is gonna be pretty short. 22 Jump Street has the same plot as the first movie, except for this time they are going undercover in college as opposed to high school. Sure, there are other little surprises along the way, but I won't spoil any of that fun here.

This is not the first time that a comedy sequel has tried sticking to the winning formula of the first movie. The Hangover, Part II tried rehashing the plot of the first, but with utterly disastrous results. Luckily, everyone involved in this movie from the directors and writers down to the actors themselves know that this is the same movie as the first. The best part is that they make fun of themselves for doing it, and they make fun of all of Hollywood for their obsession with sequels.

Tatum and Hill have great chemistry together, and it is even better in this movie. This is probably the most bromantic movie brought to the big screen. They are both having a blast returning to these roles while poking fun at each other and themselves. The cast around them also steps up with great comedic talent. The film does have a couple lulls in the middle that could have been fixed with some editing and shortening the film's run time. It doesn't need to be nearly two hours. However, it picks up quickly and ends with a bang. If you loved the first one, you are sure to enjoy this one as well. Be sure to stay all the way through the credits if you want an extra funny little bonus scene.

RATING: A-