Schmidt and Jenko are back undercover, only this time in college in 22 Jump Street. Is it as funny as the first film? Find out with our review after the jump.
It has to be said, 21 Jump Street was a surprise. Remakes of 80’s television shows don’t transfer well to the big screen usually, so to turn the old Johnny Depp starrer into a modern comedy was a tough ask, yet they achieved the near-impossible; 21 Jump Street was a hoot.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum return as Schmidt and Jenko, two police officers going undercover to stop a drugs ring. Does the plot sound similar to the last movie? Well that’s all done on purpose. The producers knew that the last film did well so why change the formula. The screenplay even picks up on the fact and plays with it. Nick Offerman’s Deputy Chief Hardy tells Hill and Tatum that “they got lucky last time” and why risk a winning formula by changing things, they will do the same thing again, exactly. It’s a winning nod to the audience. 
A new drug called Wify is being sold on campus, one that resulted in a girl’s death. Schmidt and Jenko pretend to be brothers at the college, but Jenko soon gets hooked on playing the jock and considers leaving the police force in order to play football. This cause tensions between the two partners, but of course they come together to crack the case.
Hill and Tatum are supported by Ice Cube again and a villainous role from Peter Stormare (when is he not the villain). Why 22 Jump Street wants to be funny, it certainly is. No, it doesn’t change the landscape for comedy films, but it does make for a humorous watch.
Also, stay for the credits when the makers again poke fun at knowing the film is a film, by showing us clips of future stories from 23 Jump Street, 24 Jump Street, 25, 26, 27 etc etc.
Overall, 22 Jump Street is a funny film and a decent sequel to the 2012 sleeper hit.