22 Jump Street (2014)
Writers: Michael Bacall and Oren Uziel, Rodney Rothman, Jonah Hill. Based on the TV series 21 Jump Street. Written by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell.
Cast: Jonah Hill (Schmidt), Channing Tatum (Jenko), Peter Stormare (The Ghost), Wyatt Russell (Zook), Amber Stevens (Maya), Jillian Bell (Mercedes), Ice Cube (Captain Dickson), The Lucas brothers (Keith & Kenny Yang), and Nick Offerman (Deputy Chief Hardy).
The dynamic duo is at it again, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) watch from inside their car, as the narcotics dealer called Ghost (Peter Stomare) happens to have a truck, crates filled with drugs, or something of that sorts, make these two young undercover police officers take matters into their own hands. Schmidt (Hill) comes up with the character Scarface, they approach Ghost (Stomare), with his band of merry thugs. An almost standup comedic moment, Schmidt (Hill) goes into character, he even persuades Jenko (Tatum) to somehow improvise while he goes into character. As Schmidt (Hill) looks at Jenko (Tatum), he comes up with the stupid, slow character called "Jeff." The two get into character so that they could see the contents of the crates inside the truck. Ghost (Stomare) and the thugs catch on pretty quick, a firefight ensues, between Jenko (Tatum) and the bad guys. Meanwhile Schmidt (Hill) tries to pull off a squid that has somehow latched on to his face. A big chase begins, Jenko (Tatum) using his acrobatics manages to get on top of a fast moving truck, his partner Schmidt (Hill) very, slowly manages to somehow follow his partners moves, but his footing isn't very good, his spirits are high, but notices something wrong about to happen, a beam, a metal structure up a head, it's to late the structure rammed into them, which in turn, Ghost (Stomare) and his team of thugs are gone, as the truck speeds away.
Afterwards the team convenes at the station with Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman), He tells them that their mess at the warehouse pretty much cost the department some lucrative capital. But, alas the department has extra funding in the 21 Jump Street operation, which Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) have aggressively accomplished. The Chief goes on to explain, and i mean explain to them that the new project will continue with a new narcotics case at a local college. The guys will have to return to what they know best, go undercover, mess things up along the way, the usual Jump Street kinda thing.
The newly awaited operation called 22 Jump Street located across the street, in a church, where there Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) is present. The church is modified to look like something out of a Sci-Fi film. They're presented with a new mission, go and find the dealer of the new designer drug labeled "Work Hard Yes Play Hard Yes, (WHYPHY)." The new drug killed the student while buying it on campus, a photograph is all the evidence at hand. The guys will have to go undercover, meet the locals, find the narcotics dealer, and save the world as we know it.
This time around the guys again basically do the same thing, but it's a college, right? yup it's a comedy sequel that continues the life of Schmidt and Jenko. They're characters are like Batman & Robin, except for these undercover cops can't agree on anything, they argue on almost, every point, or decision. The sheer genius and chemistry these actors have on film is impressive. From the "Dora The explorer reference" to the scene with the guys first day at the college. Comparing the police equipment that supposed to be secret, and the mix of stupid items they bring with them is laughable.
The story is done well, remember it's a comedy, and every comedy has a category they're under, in the case of 22 Jump Street falls under Action, Comedy, Crime. The points of the comedy and serious points are all smooth. The story never falls short, it delivers when the story hits the comedy highs and lows. I'll go into that a bit later, but for now this story really does a good job keeping you into the film. Like the beginning scene with Ghost, and later how the guys try and extract information but the college students, funny stuff, they see right through them. So, on the story, and dialog, i give this film high marks, it tells the story, it's never boring, it manages to keep you tunes in, that's what a comedy of this type is all about.
Comedies unlike some films hit there highs and lows, meaning they have no limit, because a comedy can pretty much get a way with anything, it's funny and if it keeps you laughing than it's a good thing. What if the laughter stops, not because of the story, but because that scene was meant for audiences to laugh, but did not. That's what i call a low. A low is the period in the film where it was meant for you to drop and laugh, but did not. Now lets go into the high, it's when the film continues with stupid scenes that go nowhere, a repeat of jokes that are not funny but yet they repeat them, a constant circle of the same thing all over again. The high is the limit of bad jokes, scenes, language, sex, etc. Some comedy films use way to much language, with no point at all, no reason, just let loose and hope for the best. Again, the story if it has sex, and language, and if those things are in the story, and it was meant to make you laugh but it wasn't forced, the execution was plausible, than the elements of the comedy is tight, together, the point was established. Good comedies, like "there's something about Mary, The Wedding Singer" are my examples of two great films with a funny cast. Let me continue by Adam Sandler films are a hit or a miss, you have to be a die hard fan to love his work. My favorite Sandler film is "The Waterboy," hands down this film is genius on all levels.
22 Jump Street did well for a sequel, it had it's moments but, as a whole this film did well, and that's all that really matters right? wrong. How many times do you pick up your favorite movie, popcorn night. Money isn't everything, it just establishes the movie a little better than most. A true comedic artist will have the rabid fan watch the film too many times to count, even after the fan will know scenes by heart, that's when you know you got a sheer hit. The box office is just the beginning. Comedies are difficult to review because of what i explained, the Highs and Lows. That being said, this film has every quality of a good comedy, and it has a lot to do with the actors, Tatum and Hill make a good team up, it's just my opinion but I'm right. Sometimes in films you find a couple of unique actors that work well with each other, maybe a little to well, but let me just say that i had a blast watching this film. The dynamic duo of Hill and Tatum made me laugh, and to me it's what makes a comedy a classic.
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