22 Jump Street: unoriginal, but clever

 Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reprise their roles as undercover police officers in the hilarious comedy sequel, 22 Jump Street.

REVIEW by TOLI PAPADOPOULOS

With a storyline almost identical to its predecessor, 22 Jump Street initially feels a bit uncalled for. In a deliberate take-off of sequels, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have presented audiences with a complete rehash. Yet the execution is tongue in cheek, resulting in a hilarious end product.

Part of what made 21 Jump Street a success was its ability to distance itself from the original series. The first instalment was full of cleverly paced humour that poked fun at the gap between generations X and Y. The jokes were subtle, with droll one-liners against racial intolerance, and actor Ice Cube providing much of the entertainment.

Thankfully, 22 Jump Street is just as amusing as the first, offering a successful parody of itself and other sequels.

The story picks up right where 21 Jump Street left off, with undercover police officers Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) in pursuit of drug dealers around the city. After a failed car chase, Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) sends the pair to college where their goal is to pose as students and locate the supplier of a drug known as “Whyphy”.

Directors  Lord and  Miller open the film with the title card “Previously on 21 Jump Street”. In an obvious allusion to the first flick, Jenko and Schmidt meet with Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman). Hardy explains that although nobody had faith in the initial project, the guys managed to achieve success. As a result, Jenko and Schmidt are on a new assignment with double the budget.

Captain Dickson, a highlight of the first film, is funnier the second time round. As he introduces Schmidt and Jenko to the new headquarters, Dickson begins to gloat about the increased budget, proclaiming the office to be similar to Iron Man’s.

The dynamics between Hill and Tatum are solid and some of the best scenes occur when the two are arguing. Highlights include a homoerotic confession by Schmidt that he would like an “open partnership” and a scene in which the pair have couples therapy in a psychologist’s office.

Tatum gives a consistent performance as college jock Jenko, and Jonah Hill is just as entertaining. Since the release of 21 Jump Street, Hill has gone on to bigger and better things, appearing in films directed by the likes of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. A scene in which he attempts to write poetry will leave you in hysterics.

But perhaps the best scene is saved for last. Keeping the spoilers at bay, the films final credits contains a series of parodies that will keep you in the cinema right to the end.

The overall success behind 22 Jump Street lies in its ability to parody itself and other sequels. Will there be a follow up? Judging by the end credits sequence, this seems unlikely. In the words of Lethal Weapon’s Roger Murtaugh, I’d say Jenko and Schmidt may be too old for this shit.

Verdict: ∗∗∗∗