DVD Review - 22 Jump Street (2014)

Schmidt (Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street, This is The End) and Jenko (Channing Tatum, Magic Mike, Foxcatcher) are back together again in this sequel to 2012’s 21 Jump Street. In 21 Jump Street the two rather unconvincingly went back to High School to uncover a drugs ring, and this time, well they’re off to college, to do kind of the same thing.

The whole crux of this film is that it is a sequel and a bit similar but different to the first film. The self-aware delivery of the film means that there are countless jokes that make reference to this, which start off funny but end up a bit tiresome. However they pull of this ‘similar, but not too similar’ sequel to effect and there’s enough dissimilarities to make it watchable and more importantly funny.

Both Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are great as ever in this buddy comedy and their on screen chemistry keeps the pace throughout. We get to see the duo enjoy college life, which tests the duo’s friendship as it points out their differences in character. Whilst Jenko bros out on Lamborginis, parkour and the football field; Schmidt gets a girlfriend Maya (Amber Stevens; The Amazing Spiderman, Greek) gets in with the art set and does some rather intense slam-poetry. The story concludes with a final showdown at every student’s favourite holiday, spring break.

The star of the show is undoubtedly Jillian Bell’s (Workaholics, Eastbound and Down) Mercedes who’s venomous attacks at Hill’s unconvincingness as a college student are dumb-foundedly brilliant. Along with an excellent performance from Amber Stevens, it’s great to see two ladies take the lead in a film that for most will be written off as a brotastic stoner comedy.

There are very few good films that you can say are surpassed by their end credits, however this is definitely one of them, and you are forgiven if you get the urge to fast-forward to the end to watch them. With cameos from Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Anna Faris amongst others, this is definitely the film’s highlight. Not that the film is particularly bad, it’s just that the end credits are so good that you almost forget about the film you’ve just watched.

With the film’s send up of sequels and them poking fun at the potential sequels possible, it’s actually a bit surprising to see that they are planning to return again with 23 Jump Street. Whether this involves them going to medical school as the end credits suggests we’ll remain to see. I just hope that they find another angle for this sequel, as I honestly don’t think there’s another joke they can get out of the sequel trope. However with the team involved, I’m sure that they will find a new way to come at this reliably enjoyable franchise.

★★★

Alice Hubley

Genre: Comedy, Action Distributor:Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD Release Date: 17th November 2014 (UK) Rating:15 Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube Buy: DVD, Blu Ray