Unsolicited Movie Review – 22 Jump Street

Unsolicited Movie Review – 22 Jump Street

There are two banes of the movie industry in my opinion.  First is 3D.  It is a scam. Get over it and save yourself $5.  I have never been to a single movie where 3D enhanced the experience of the film.

The second bane is the “sequelization” of practically everything. Not to say there are not good sequels.  Godfather II, Rise of the Dark Night, Two Towers etc.  But generally they are horrible and nothing but rehashes of the first movie.  Sometimes the sequel is so awful it actually makes you wonder if it's predecessor was as good you thought. (Hangover II).

So when I heard they were making a sequel to 21 Jump Street I was perplexed. First of all the original movie was bland. A few funny parts to be sure but nothing ground breaking and devoid of charm. Surely this was going to be a straight to DVD slam with another cast. Jamie Kennedy or someone? NOPE. It was the original cast with Jonah Hill and Tatum Channing. Before you smirk remember Johah Hill has 2 Oscar nominations for acting. That is the same number as John Wayne and twice as many as Robert Redford for acting. Hill has more acting nominations than Donald Sutherland, Richard Gere, Sam Rockwell, Harry Dean Stanton, Jeff Daniels, Steve Buscemi and Gary Oldman COMBINED! (I’ll let that sink in a second. If you makes you question the base concept of humanity, well I understand.)

So, I was not hopeful but I had a couple of hours to kill. Here’s the thing. It was formulaic. It was the same exact plot. It was in no way socially, ethically or morally redeemable.  But, and this is a huge but, IT WAS FUNNY!. I laughed throughout the entire film.

The bits worked. The cast was more than charming and clicked together. I genuinely felt Channing and Hill liked each other. Channing is not just for looks. He has some pretty good comedy chops. He’s not just a pretty face. (I know how he feels!)  References back to the first film reminded you it’s funniest parts and actually made me want to revisit the original. The makers never took themselves seriously. Not even remotely.

If you have an issue with foul language or “blue” material it is not for you. But, if you have a couple of hours to kill and you are in the mood to zone out and laugh it is worth the while. You don’t need to see on the big screen. Easily worth waiting till it is on DVD/Download.