2) 22 Jump Street
Yes, I gave 22 Jump Street a positive review. I’m not hiding that fact in the least, and I don’t contest that Phil Lord and Chris Miller made a perfectly adequate follow up worthy of a summertime blockbuster watch – but not much beyond that. Sitting soundly at an 85% on RottenTomatoes thanks to numerous critical gushings, many are saying 22 Jump Street is the sequel to end all sequels, and again, while Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are an absolutely dynamite buddy comedy team, the scripting became a little too meta-happy for my liking. One or two self-referential jokes about sequels never changing is funny, but an entire movie? Ever heard of too much of a good thing? (Some might argue me there.)
22 Jump Street, to me, gets a little too cutesy for its own good. The entire sequel is built upon the fact that it’s some meta-hybrid movie that completely acknowledges everything that makes a sequel lame – and knowingly employes each tactic. Using the same basic plot, same character arcs, and same recurring characters, the film never, EVER lets you forget that. I laughed heartily when Nick Offerman gave his once again genius Hollywood-bashing monologue, I chucked when our stars drew out conversations riddled with foreshadowing hints of future plot points, but by the time I reached Jenko and Schmidt’s “expensive” car chase, I was tapped out. The repetitive humor wore me down, and all the bro-love in the world couldn’t convince me otherwise.
With that said, when 22 Jump Street ditched the self-mockery for newer, fresher digs, both the cast and crew were in top form. Jillian Bell dominates as a whiny drug dealer, The Lucas Brothers are two of the funniest upcoming dudes around, more Ice Cube meant more phenomenal angry cop jokes, and must I say anything more about Tatum and Hill? 22 Jump Street IS funny – but is it “funniest sequel in decades” funny?
-Matt Donato
