22 Jump Street

© 2014 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

21 JUMP STREET took me by surprise; while its true that comedy is mostly subjective, comedic reboots of nostalgic television series are usually fodder for the cheap DVD bin at Wal-Mart. Much like the rest of the world, I was surprised at just how much I ended up enjoying 21 JUMP STREET, due in no small part to the finger that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have on the pulse of the modern comedy landscape. Truth told, after the first installment, I didn’t think I could laugh harder at a film; upon viewing 22 JUMP STREET, I’m proud to announce that I was wrong.

Undercover officers Schmidt and Jenko (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum) are back in school tracking down the drug dealers and suppliers responsible for the proliferation of a designer drug at a local college. If this sounds suspiciously similar to the plot of the first film, then congratulations! You get the joke. 22 JUMP STREET hinges a lot of its humor on the idea of this film as a sequel, taking pot shots at the idea that the buddy cop duo needs to do more of the same since it worked so well the first time. The film never takes itself seriously, maintaining a fresh self-awareness that is able to expertly blend meta humor with a narrative that still builds on the Schmidt / Jenko relationship.