21 Jump Street was fantastic, there’s no denying it. It was
funny, and it made most high-school comedies to date (including American Pie)
look tame by comparison. And now, they’re moving across the street to try and
top it in 22 Jump Street, a sequel that from the trailer looks like it might
actually achieve what sequels very rarely do; it might not be shit.
22 Jump Street starts where the last film left off, with
Schmidt and Jenko (Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum; that way round for anyone who
forget which one’s which) heading off to college. Probably a more appropriate setting
for two guys who managed to turn every single mundane aspect of high school
into ridiculous shenanigans.
Other than the college part however, it does sort of look
like they’ve copied the plot of the first film, down to every little detail.
The Jump Street division has moved location; across the road to a different abandoned
church. They’re still trying to bust up a drug ring. Eric and the teacher who
was responsible for the HFS are still featuring in it (and the teacher still
seems certifiable). Jenko and Schmidt still seem possibly too immature to be
the age they’re pretending to be. At one point someone in the film comments
that the two look way too old to be there. Which I will never stop finding
hilarious, because they look the same age due to the fact that most high school
and college students in films are actually thirty.
They could have made more changes rather than just having a
high-school graduation, but those joke setups were hysterical first time
around, so they may well still pull it off. The trailer, in spite of itself,
still does look like it’s going to be great, so bring on 2014 so we can find
out for sure. But don’t just take my word for it; watch the trailer and decide
for yourself.
Ari Carrington
