by Amara Dumlao
It is hard to believe that we have reached a time where there is a sequel to the film adaptation of the nineties cult TV show “21 Jump Street” but that time has come in the new film “22 Jump Street”.
Having finally grown far too old for the high school beat, undercover cops and best pals, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) take their special brand of crime fighting to somewhere it has never been before, college. With specialty tattoos, partying over spring break, over indulgent football victories, romantic talks over industrial art, walks of shame, odd roommates, and street drugs, “22 Jump Street” doesn’t just sample college film tropes, it bathes in them.
Perfect for the frat boy footballer existence, Tatum portrays Jenko as a loveable, yet not all there, meathead who literally lifts weights more than once in the film. To the surprise of no one, Jonah Hill does a good job in his favorite, yet ever evolving role, as an overly attached best friend. Shining in some of the film’s most funny moments, Ice Cube also returns to Jump Street as the fed-up Captain Dickson.
“22 Jump Street” knows it lives in the realm of the unlikely sequel and flaunts it. The plot is purposefully threadbare and bypassed by the film’s true goal: loosely connected comedic skits and gages. The resulting scenes are a mixed bag. Some moments uproariously succeed while others crash and burn in the land of misplaced jokes. With such a roller-coaster of comedic success what holds “22 Jump Street” together is that on screen classic, the chemistry of a good fictional best friendship.
From the opening scene to the ending credits, “22 Jump Street” is as ridiculous as expected but still a bro lotta fun.
3.5/5
