22 Jump Street brings a bigger budget with similar laughs

 
Synopsis: After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
 
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21 Jump Street brought some unexpected laughs by taking a comedic twist on a classic television show. At the film’s close, it was insinuated that a sequel would be in the works so it was no surprise when 22 Jump Street came so soon.

 

The question is, can you expect the same regurgitated humor from the first film? Yes you can. With a majority of sequels in the comedy genre you can expect recycled laughs that don’t catch you off guard as they did in the original film. 22 Jump Street is a victim of this as well but the way it distinguishes itself is by breaking the fourth wall and blatantly observing the moments of redundancy. Whether it’s the increased sequel budget, the repetitive plot, or the overall progression of the film, 22 Jump Street makes a point to poke fun of itself and the apparent similarities with the original film. In my opinion, this would be the overall highlight of the film because it allows the audience to laugh at the fact that this film will never measure up to its original and eliminates the elephant in the room.

The roles are reversed this time around which provides the most distance from the first film and giving 22 Jump Street its small piece of originality by developing the characters in reverse. Jenko (Tatum) excels in college social life as a jock and stereotypical “frat guy” while Schmidt (Hill) falls into seclusion from his lack of athletic ability and social awkwardness. This social separation is the same mechanism that drives them apart in the first film and reluctantly pushes them towards the climax of the film.

Despite the redundancies, there are still a lot of random moments of laughter. There are many surprises (that I won’t reveal) that still catch you off guard and incite some laugh out loud moments. The same idea of having immature characters in an authoritative role presents many opportunities to make you laugh but maybe not the jovial laughter you had from the first film. The polar opposite combination of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill is funny in itself and in my opinion, is enough to carry two films (but maybe not a third).

 

Overall I would say that I enjoyed the film but not as much as I enjoyed the original. It had many moments of recycled laughter but the laughter was still present regardless. The open awareness of the formulaic elements put me at ease as a viewer and allowed me to enjoy every bit of humor from the slapstick to the caught off guard moments. People always feel better after a good laugh and this is a comedy that is sure to put a smile on your face whether you see it now or wait to rent it. Oh and make sure you stay for after the credits, some of the best humor is there.

22 Jump Street – 6.5 out of 10

Recycled but enjoyable humor…