There are many who hold to the theory that a sequel to any
hit movie is bound to be bad. It never quite captures the same magic that the
first film had, just doesn’t quite hit the right notes here and there. Of course
there have been some exceptions to the rule and many great second films in
various series. Unfortunately 22 JUMP STREET
isn’t one of those. This is not to say there aren’t any laughs in this film but
with the expectations set by the first movie there should be more.
Undercover officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing
Tatum) have remained on the job but have had little success since their high
school case. In an effort to duplicate their success the police department
assigns them once again to the Jump Street
program, now moved across the street to the 22 address. With a bigger budget
thanks to their earlier success Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) has a better office,
better equipment and better men. Now he has these two again.
To recreate that earlier success they’re going back to
school again, this time to college. The case involves a new drug on the market
that has claimed the life of one young female college student. It’s up to
Schmidt and Jenko to find out who is dealing this new drug and get it off the
market before it becomes wide spread.
The other students immediately notice the age difference of
the two with the rest of the students. Why they notice more now than in the
first film is anyone’s guess. As the duo dig deeper into college life they take
two different paths. Schmidt begins dating an attractive young woman who lived
across the hall from the drug’s first victim. This sets up one of the funniest
jokes involving a reaction from Jenko, but a joke that is readily apparent to
most making it lose the humor involved.
Jenko goes another route much like the first film, enjoying
the college lifestyle and becoming friends with a quarterback on the football
team when he tries out. The two hit is off as if they were separated at birth
and their combined efforts make the team a winning one. Brought into his
fraternity Jenko begrudgingly continues to investigate them as suspects but
overlooks what should be clues based on his all too growing friendship. At the
same time his partnership with Schmidt dwindles to almost nothing and the two
part ways to do their own investigations.
Obviously this parting of the ways will be solved, the team
will get back together and the bad guy will be found and apprehended. What made
the first movie works was the ease with which the two leads played off of one
another. That happens here but not near as often. On top of that many jokes
that are bad here have a tendency to play out far too long, as if no one was
there to say enough already. That’s become a major problem with comedies these
days, especially from successful actors riding a wave from a previous hit. They
suddenly become untouchable and no one dares tell the emperor that he’s not
wearing any clothes. NEIGHBORS was the same way.
Tighter writing and direction might have saved this one but
as it stands it’s only a decent comedy rather than a great one. Instead we get
a lame story with far too many of those moments, jokes that play out and take
up too much time where better jokes could have been. While the parting of the
two leads may have worked for the story it doesn’t as far as the end result for
the movie goes. I doubt that this film will crash the careers of anyone
involved. There are at least 4 good laughs in it but that’s about it in my
opinion. But with the popularity of the first film I’m sure it will do great
rentals and with the Christmas season near solid sales as well. I also think
you’ll see plenty of copies turn up at the local used DVD
store come January.
Click here to order.
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