The Focus Pull Film Journal The Focus Pull Film Journal
The Focus Pull Film Journal The Focus Pull Film Journal
  • Full Issues 
  • Reviews 
  • Features 
  • OUR TEAM
  • Info.
    • OUR TEAM
  • Content
    • Full Issues 
      • Issue #01
      • Issue #02
      • Issue #03
      • Issue #04
      • Issue #05
      • Issue #06
      • Issue #07
      • Issue #08
      • Issue #09
      • Issue #10
      • Issue #11
      • Issue #12
      • Issue #13
      • Issue #14
      • Issue #15
      • Issue #16
      • Issue #17
      • Issue #18
      • Issue #19
      • Issue #20
      • Issue #21
      • Issue #22
      • Issue #23
      • Issue #24
      • Issue #25 - Horror Week
      • Issue #26
      • Issue #27
      • Issue #28
      • Issue #29
      • Issue #30
      • Issue #31
      • Issue #32
      • Issue #33
      • Issue #34
      • Issue #35
      • Issue #36
      • Issue #37
      • Issue #38
      • Issue #39
      • Issue #40
    • Reviews 
      • (All Reviews)
      • Action Adventure
      • Animation
      • Biography/History
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Foreign
      • Horror
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Thriller
    • Features 
      • (All Features)
      • Bonding with Bond
      • Double Exposures
      • Essays
      • Event Coverage
      • Lists
      • New to Netflix
      • News
      • Retrospectives
    • OUR TEAM
REGISTER
@
LOGIN
Reviews
0
previous article
Review: Deliver Us From Evil
next article
Review: The Missing Picture

Review: 22 Jump Street

by Josef Rodriguez on June 15, 2014
Overall Rating
6.5
THE BOTTOM LINE

Although “22 Jump Street” sometimes feels like jokes in search of a movie, the self-aware humor and chemistry between its two leads keep the film from going off the rails.

6.5
Critic Rating
You have rated this

With many recent comedy sequels faring the way they have, it was a surprise to hear that directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller would be helming the follow-up to “21 Jump Street” which was, against all expectations, one of 2012’s best films. Seeing that Lord and Miller passed on directing sequels to their two animated films (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and this year’s “The LEGO Movie”), tackling “22 Jump Street” seemed to be an odd direction for the two, who are known for their refusal to adhere to formula.

The success of the Jump Street program has landed officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) the chance to hunt down a narcotics dealer in a local college: an online college. Schmidt and Jenko aren’t exactly doing the high-risk work they had become accustomed to, and after a run-in with a drug lord known as The Ghost (Peter Stormare) leaves them empty-handed, they’re re-assigned to the Jump Street program under the supervision of Captain Dickson (Ice Cube), who has been moved across the street to 22 Jump Street, where yet another abandoned church has been repurposed as an undercover headquarters.

Equipped with a host of fancy new gadgets, Schmidt and Jenko are assigned to infiltrate a university where a drug known as WHYFY (pronounced Wi-Fi) has been spreading around campus, leaving one of its users dead. With the same identities, the duo are given their own dorm and told to, once again, infiltrate the dealer and find the supplier. That becomes difficult in a college setting, where all the students are much more aware, much more cynical, and much less willing to divulge information about where to find the drug. Meanwhile, Jenko gets close with the school’s star quarterback, a lunkhead named Zook (Wyatt Russell) who may or may not be the dealer they’re looking for, and discovers a natural ability for football. Schmidt, on the other hand, is having a tough time fitting in and feels left out of the investigation. The two are beginning to drift apart and are forced to consider the fact that maybe the success they had with Jump Street was only supposed to be a one-time thing.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s fourth feature is, like the three that came before it, a film that isn’t supposed to be as good as it is. Comedy sequels are almost never as satisfying as their predecessors, and are often met with diminishing returns both critically and commercially. “22 Jump Street” isn’t quite the exception to the rule, but it is a step in the right direction. Aesthetically and narratively, “22 Jump Street” is a superior film to the original. The chemistry between Hill and Tatum is even more refined, the script is loaded with an endless stream of self-aware jokes that run the risk of completely demolishing the fourth wall, and the cinematography by Barry Peterson is a massive improvement on the first film. If “22 Jump Street” isn’t quite as funny as its predecessor, it is a smarter and better made film, one that continues to benefit from the relaxed but dependable chemistry of its two leads.

Like this year’s “Neighbors,” “22 Jump Street” enlists the help of comedy’s most unique new voices, including an extended cameo from the brilliant Lucas Bros, who are currently showrunners for their own animated program on Fox. Craig Roberts also shows up for a couple of minutes as one of the college’s “art kids,” and Jillian Bell, who some may recognize from Comedy Central’s “Workaholics,” gives the film’s most rewarding performance as Mercedes, Maya’s snarky and seemingly omniscient roommate. Bell and The Lucas Bros are a complete revelation and threaten to steal the film from its two stars, but Lord and Miller have the wherewithal to not let the characters outstay their welcome.

Michael Bacall, who returned to write the film’s script, is something of a comedic godsend. Having written some of the best action-comedies of the past five years, his work here remains consistently entertaining and engaging without defaulting on one side of the hyphen. It was reported that, because of their obligations to “The LEGO Movie,” Lord and Miller weren’t given time to do any script revisions. Thankfully, they didn’t have to, because Bacall knows exactly what to do and how to deliver most of the goods that were promised at the end of the first film.

Like the first film, “22 Jump Street” is robbed of greatness by its poor editing, this time from the duo behind 2010’s “You Again,” Keith Brachmann and David Rennie. At almost two hours, the film is easily fifteen minutes too long, and the final edit seems almost determined to clear the film of any discernible depth, optioning instead to quickly get on to the next gag or punchline. The central romance between Schmidt and a student named Maya (Amber Stevens) is handled even more poorly than the one between him and Molly (Brie Larson) from the first film, who isn’t even mentioned in the sequel. Scenes that seem set-up to reveal something about the characters, most notably a poorly placed montage where Schmidt and Maya just sit up talking all night, are instead used as ways to slip in yet another unnecessary gag. The “Jump Street” films are already very intelligent and entertaining movies to watch, but I couldn’t help but feel like directors Lord and Miller were constantly trying to one-up themselves, with mixed results.

The duo behind the “Jump Street” films are undoubtedly two of the most talented directors in Hollywood, and have the potential to establish themselves as this generation’s Coen Brothers. However, even their best work, which was probably this year’s “The LEGO Movie,” has never reached the level of greatness that it deserves to. Their films are smart, hilarious, and surprisingly thoughtful pieces of work, but the humor often relies too heavily on the surprise of hearing the joke for the first time, which poses a problem when discussing the durability of their films in the comedy pantheon.

What separates something like “21 Jump Street” from recent classics like “Anchorman” or “Swingers” is that, while the three films share certain elements, I don’t know that “21 Jump Street” can ever really be as enduring as those films. We don’t watch “Anchorman” expecting different jokes, we watch it because it’s the illegitimate love child of a series of well-crafted jokes, and watching Dawson-era “Family Feud” on acid. It’s such a joy to watch the 10th, 15th, 20th time you see it that it’s become one of the most enduring pop culture symbols of the 21st century.

Lord and Miller, however, have just not made that film yet. Can they eventually? I have no doubts they will, but their increasing focus on drowning their films in irony has resulted in an insincere relationship with the audience that will eventually get old. “22 Jump Street” is a very good comedy film, one that made me laugh a lot, but it’s missing some of the heart and indulgence in candor that brings depth to the greatest films of the genre. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have some of the best comedic chemistry ever put on the screen, and it’s a shame that their natural abilities are often second tier to the film’s incessant winks to the audience. If there ever is a “23 Jump Street,” or even a “29 Jump Street” according to the ending credits, Lord and Miller should consider making it a less calculating film; instead, take a tip from Schmidt and Jenko and allow the friction to create a fire of its own.

 
Continue Reading Issue #7

Language

English

Release

June 13, 2014

Runtime

1 hr. 52 min.

Genre

Comedy, Action-Adventure, Crime

MPAA Rating

R

Director

Phil Lord, Chris Miller

Cast

Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Amber Stevens, Wyatt Russell, The Lucas Bros, Craig Roberts, and Nick Offerman

(All Reviews), Action Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Issue #07, Issues, Reviews
21 Jump Street22 Jump StreetAmber Stevensand Nick OffermanChanning TatumChris MillerCraig RobertsIce Cubejonah hillPhil LordThe Lucas BrosWyatt Russell
21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Amber Stevens, and Nick Offerman, Channing Tatum, Chris Miller, Craig Roberts, Ice Cube, jonah hill, Phil Lord, The Lucas Bros, Wyatt Russell
About the Author
Josef Rodriguez
Josef Rodriguez
Josef Rodriguez is a writer, filmmaker, and musician living in New York City. He is often labeled as "that guy who didn't love Boyhood" and he finds himself liking Harmony Korine films more than he likes his own friends. When he's not stressing over turning in reviews on time, Josef can be seen playing guitar, watching "Spring Breakers," or trying to write the next great American movie.
You might also like
Channing TatumChris Millerjonah hillPhil Lord
 
jupiter ascending

Review: Jupiter Ascending

by Jess Brooman on February 15, 2015
A lifeless and insipid sci-fi clutter starring two very uninteresting leads, "Jupiter Ascending" sees the Wachowskis full of creativity and ambition but completely lacking in both story and sense.
 

Double Exposure: Foxcatcher

by Jordan Brooks on November 24, 2014
Editor’s note: Our “Double Exposure” reviews pit two or more critics against one another on the same film to hash out their differences in opinion. Agree with what we have to say or want to offer your own take? Leave it in the comments below.   Jordan Brooks: After months of hype from Cannes and various other […]
 

AFF 2014: Day Six

by Zack Miller on September 16, 2014
As the festival leaves weekend mode – where days are stacked, top to bottom, with great regional and international features – you may have noticed that I’m allowing myself to decompress a bit by starting my days with a shorts program. Today, that program included an honourable mention for the Best Atlantic Short award, “The […]
 
The Lego Movie

Review: The Lego Movie

by Taylor Sinople on February 4, 2014
An unexceptional construction worker mini-figure (or “Lego guy”) named Emmet (Chris Pratt) lives day-to-day, decision-to-decision following the instructions that inform everyone in the Lego universe on how to live and behave. He buys his $37 coffee, he goes to work, he builds skyscrapers only to tear them down again, and he’s REALLY happy about it. […]
Comments
Leave a reply
Add Comment Register



Leave a Response
Cancel reply

The Focus Pull in your inbox!

Subscribe to this list, and we'll send you each week's new issue directly to your inbox. One email a week, packed with essential film writing!

Latest Reviews

View All
 
Taylor Sinople Picks: The 16 Best Films of 2016
 
Form and Function in Alex Ross Perry’s “Queen of Earth&...
 
Digging for Fire and Unexpected: Husband and Wife Process Parenthoo...
 
Every Thing Will Be Fine 3D Review

Latest Features

View All
 
Taylor Sinople Picks – The 17 Best Films of 2017
 
Taylor Sinople Picks: The 16 Best Films of 2016
 
Taylor Sinople’s Top 10 Films of 2015: “The Duke of Bur...
 
8 Films to See at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival

Our Partners

Advertisement

FESTIVAL COVERAGE

View All
 
8 Films to See at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival
 
Every Thing Will Be Fine 3D Review
 
Berlinale 2015: Eisenstein in Guanajuato
 
Berlinale 2015: Sworn Virgin
 
Berlinale 2015: Under Electric Clouds

LISTS

View All
 
Taylor Sinople Picks – The 17 Best Films of 2017
 
SNL40: A Look Back at 40 Years of SNL in Film
 
Six Must-See British Films Opening in 2015
 
Oscars 2015: Ranking the Best Picture Nominees
 
Our 26 Most Anticipated Films of 2015
Tweets by @thefocuspull
  • "Popcorn - check. Soda - check...I have a date with Netflix on Friday night." - Sherry
  • "[…] nails it.” I disagree, and frankly wonder what movies John is talking about. The original G..." - Dear Godzilla Fans: Please Stop Defending that ...
  • "[…] www.thefocuspull.com […]" - Annie Hall
  • "[…] more vibrant monologue or confrontation, like the dinner scene that comes at just the right time ..." - Taylor Sinople's Top 10 Films of 2015
  • "[…] of the year is also the stuff of a best picture winner. With Michael Keaton, hot off praise from ..." - Taylor Sinople's Top 10 Films of 2015
TRENDING ON TFP
   
Try a different filter
© 2014 THE FOCUS PULL FILM JOURNAL
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.