June 14, 2014

 

I am pretty confident when I say that 22 Jump Street will be not only the number one comedy this weekend, but for the summer. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, along with the rest of the returning cast do a fantastic job poking fun at the fact that they are doing a sequel and don’t want to ‘mess it up.’ The script is so well-written, that if you blink or get distracted you will probably miss a really funny scene or line.

 

After the success of the 21 Jump Street program, Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are back out on the street tracking down drug dealers. However, after they fail to catch a big drug lord Ghost (Peter Stormare), Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman) wants to put them back into the program under Captain Dickson (Ice Cube), except now they are across the street at 22 Jump Street. It should be noted that the entire interaction between the three is just poking fun at the first film (and other films they’ve been in), with Hardy telling the pair to ‘do what they did the last time because it worked.’

 

At headquarters, Dickson gives them the assignment to go undercover at college after a freshman was found dead after taking the drug ‘WHYFHY.’ Of course, their job is to find the supplier…you know, just like the last time. The two are under the same identities as brothers and dorm together. Jenko soon falls in with the jocks, including football player Zook (Wyatt Russell). He fits right in, but Schmidt doesn’t. He falls into the art crowd and hooks up with art student Maya (Amber Stevens), much to the disapproval of her weird roommate, Mercedes (Jillian Bell). Soon, Jenko realizes that Zook might be a suspect in the drug probe, but he doesn’t want to believe it, so he hides any evidence and info from Schmidt. The two find themselves pledging a frat, where they have a fallout. Typical bromance behavior. However, the scene where they go their separate ways is one you would see between a guy and girl. Amazing.

 

After the fallout, they team up when they investigate the dead student’s room and realize the drugs are being planted in the library. Schmidt heads over by himself because Jenko has a football game. He sees Ghost with his cronies and Jenko rushes over, however, they cause a mess on the campus and let the bad guy get away. Schmidt goes back on bike/foot patrol, while Jenko stays in college with his buddy Zook. A college counselor is arrested in the case. However, they do still investigate on their own, not convinced that police caught the right person. They also really miss each other. They meet up and agree to head down to Mexico for spring break…on ‘one last mission’ to catch the real supplier. After a shootout, a car chase and some really funny fights, all is right again and the two are best friends and partners again.

 

I wish I could tell you my favorite scene, but there are so many. Actually, that’s a lie, my favorite scene is when Schmidt realizes who Maya’s father is. One thing I loved about this film, besides Tatum, is that all of the really funny scenes were not leaked in the trailer. Everything was really kept under wraps, which made it so much funnier. Tatum and Hill really play well of each other. Ice Cube is just fantastic. And Offerman is great as usual. Dave Franco and Rob Riggles also make cameos in a prison scene (and at the end of the credits that is worth the 9-minute wait). And just when the film is over, you get treated to every possible sequel scenario in a hilarious credit sequence that involves Seth Rogan.

 

I don’t really want to write much else, because I’d rather you just head to the theater and see this one and laugh and be surprised as much as I was. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.