In the same style as its prequel, “22 Jump Street” is a full-blown comedy with a sweet side. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller pair side-splitting humor with genuine insight about human relationships, all the while infusing enough action for the flick to double as the next Bond film.
The newest installment of the TV-turned-big screen cop series sends bumbling police partners Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) undercover once again, this time as freshmen in college, investigating yet another illegal drug circulating throughout the student body. Amid frat parties and poetry slams, the two manage to close their case with only a few hundred entertaining mishaps and interruptions along the way.
If the premise sounds a tad familiar, it’s because it is. Opting to play it safe, it looks like filmmakers decided to stick with their tried and true formula from “21 Jump Street,” from the storyline to the title –– which, based off of the movie’s wide success in 2012, probably wasn’t a bad idea. Hill and Tatum are once again a dynamic duo, with great chemistry and delivery, and the university provides a fresh atmosphere. Still, it makes for a rather routine plot that relies on a lot of worn-out quips and physical comedy.
That being said, even the old jokes are funny, and college students in particular will appreciate the stereotypes and situations represented by the Walk of Shame, rush week, spring break and dorm-room décor. Though it’s a little redundant, “22 Jump Street” supplies consistent laugh-out-loud comedy all the way through (which, by the way, includes the credits — stick around at the end for a hilarious extra sequence), and enough differences to make it worth seeing –– especially if you liked the first one.
_MOVE gives “22 Jump Street” 4.5 out of 5 stars._