In 21 Jump Street, Schmidt and Jenko go undercover in a high school to bust a drug ring. In 22 Jump Street, Schmidt and Jenko go undercover in a college to bust a drug ring. Wait, am I watching the same movie? To answer myself: yes and no.
The reoccurring joke of 22 Jump Street is that it’s a sequel trying to please the corporate lords, and it’s funny from start to finish. Even as Chief Hardy sends the duo on a mission, he tells them he wants them to do exactly the same as before, but things don’t go exactly as planned. The same thing happened to me going into this film. While I was expecting a watered-down replica of the first movie, turns out 22 Jump Street is even better.
How to Stream or Download 22 Jump Street
You can stream it or you can download the film from a digital store. Click on the Download button that is located below this review.
The Movie Review
Best-buddy cops Schmidt and Jenko fail another mission, even after completing their first Jump Street program. Deputy Chief Hardy sends the duo back on the program to work for Captain Dickson. This time, their assignment is to go undercover at a local college and bust the drug dealer that sells ‘WHYPHY’ (WiFi) – a designer drug that killed a college student.
But they’re put to another test when Jenko joins the football quarterback and Schmidt infiltrates the indie art scene. Their mission eventually takes an unexpected turn, placing them in unfamiliar territory and jeopardizing their partnership. Can the two officers mature from freshmen to actual men?
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller deserve a pat in the back, and screenwriters Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman should be given a lap dance.
The team jams the film with as many self-referential puns about sequels as possible, knowing that sequels suck and are just an excuse to get the bag. They keep reminding us of the fact, even the end credits poke fun at the movie. But they don’t just rely on that kinda humor, 22 Jump Street is also packed with newer, funnier gags.
This movie pulls no punches and gets straight to the jokes, it only took three seconds to make me laugh. For reference, the internet famous “Ma name is Jeff” line happens at the 4:20 mark.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum’s chemistry is what made this movie work, they’re clearly having the time of their life performing together. Their comedic timing is so spot-on that they could take seemingly small things and turn them into a huge joke. But they also let other actors have their moments.
Ice Cube, reprising his role as the head of the Jump Street program, earns one of the film’s greatest laughs simply by giving a simple glance. Jillian Bell plays as Schmidt’s girlfriend Maya, and the stoner twins who live across the hall from Schmidt and Jenko are played by Keith and Kenny Lucas, who are also hilarious.
Even though the plot is an excuse to set up jokes, it isn’t actually horrible. 22 Jump Street is, after all, about the laughs, and there are plenty of them. It takes the things that worked in the first and makes them better, crazier, and much more intense.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, 22 Jump Street is basically its predecessor on steroids. It cheats by making little changes to the story while still topping the original.
The humor was dumb, silly, yet at the same time clever. This isn’t the best movie per se, but it was entertaining enough that I couldn’t be mad. The soundtrack is great and the humor is original, and I just can never turn down a Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum bromance comedy.
