Seldom has a police officer been so wrong. OK, that may be an overstatement. LAPD officer Mark Furhman set a stunningly high banner for incompetence during his investigation of O.J. Simpson two decades ago.
But Metro City Deputy Police Chief Hardy flat blew it when he told star undercover officers Schmidt and Jenko that their next assignment would be just like their last one, warning them, “Do the same thing … (But) it’s always worse the second time around.”
That’s because “22 Jump Street,” which opened nationwide last weekend, continually nodded and winked at its predecessor – and then exceeded it with a rollicking humor of its own.
Jonah Hill (Schmidt), Channing Tatum (Jenko) and Ice Cube (Capt. Dickson) all reprise the law enforcement roles they had in the original “21 Jump Street” in 2012. Instead of high school, however, our energetic duo is sent to college to investigate and bring down a new synthetic drug ring before it explodes on a national basis.
This is a movie that doesn’t take itself seriously, which is a good thing. You won’t learn anything educational going to see it. There are no credible takeaways. It’s all about the gags. Nothing is off-limits, including themselves and their past work. Schmidt points out Capt. Dickson’s new office looks like a giant cube of ice. Jenko suggests he and his partner join the Secret Service to protect the president (a nod to Tatum’s role in “White House Down.”)
Unlike many comedy sequels that try too hard (and usually fail) to top what went on before, “22 Jump Street” embraced its roots (“it’s exactly like last time”) and found ways to be even funnier. Example: The decision to enlarge the perpetually fired up role of Capt. Dickson allowed Ice Cube much more range, culminating in a hilarious breakfast buffet-trashing scene that was one of the movie’s funniest moments.
But make no mistake. “22 Jump Street” remains a starring vehicle for Hill and Tatum. The storyline, such as it is, simply serves as a loose map to move our stars from one point to another in a movie comprised of one funny skit scene after another.
We get exactly what you would expect. Raucous frat house parties. Football games. Classroom funnies. Spring break. It’s a familiar formula. Pick a scene. Drop Hill and Tatum into the middle of it. Step back and watch the fun.
Rather than ignore facts like our heroes look far too old to be college students, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller poke fun at it themselves. There is a funny running gag in which the nasty roommate (the outstanding Jillian Bell) of Schmidt’s girlfriend constantly rags on him for his age. (“You look old as **** to be here!”)
As the film’s stars, Hill and Tatum are so at ease on screen that they allow fellow performers like Ice Cube and Bell to have their moments. To be honest, Bell (“Workaholics,” “Eastbound and Down” and “The Master”) simply steals the show in her scenes as the acid-tongued Mercedes. Her fight scene with Hill saves the film’s last 20 minutes, which otherwise tended to drag a bit.
If you decide to plunk down the money to see “22 Jump Street,” and I hope you do, please stay seated during the closing credits. If they decide to award an Oscar for “Best Closing Credits,” this film will certainly will be nominated. It’s one last chance for the film makers and stars to poke fun at themselves. It’s a chance they do not let go to waste.
Join them in the laughs.
Movie: 22 Jump Street
Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Both Lord and Miller are also producers and writers known for teaming on The Lego Movie (2014), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and 21 Jump Street (2012).
Run time: 112 minutes
Rated: R
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube, Jillian Bell
Next week: Jersey Boys
