What's Next? I'm On Board!

22 Jump Street (2014)

A Review By Ben Hunter

4 Out Of 5 Stars

June 13, 2014

GET TO THE POINT BEN!

You forget all its flaws when you successfully arrive at the end!

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A high school prom filled with dangerous drug dealers.  A couple of comical car chases filled with “almost” explosions as well as full-blown ones (pun intended).  Laced with heavily induced drugs that completely take over, possibly fatal; lots of sex, all while being shot at the entire time everything happens.

 That was just high school.

What shenanigans will Ice Cube throw our heroes into next?   “You two Es-Oh-Bees, are going to college!” 

Now enter a world of more sex, more drugs, bigger explosions, bigger car chases, more lives now at stake with every move that’s made … oh and don’t forget your shower caddy and the bed comforter you’ll only wash once.  This is college you know. 

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) have college to deal with now … again, having successfully completed high school … again.  I love how everyone has a place.  Captain Dickson (Cube), Mercedes (Jillian Bell), Maya (Amber Steves), everyone perfectly fit into this story even though they might appear to get you to wonder if this cast could work if you just saw them grouped together and told a movie was going to derive from this cast. 

Yet what I found interesting with this next installment is the focus on the relationship of our heroes and not just trying to one up the last one with bigger and funnier action sequences.  This film really centered on the status of our two heroes because that was what really was at stake.  With a light hearted commercial film as such, we know our heroes will pull though; but if successfully done and well written, like with the last film, you don’t think about that and why that film was so much fun and simply BRILLIANT! So a different approach to the material is almost necessary with each installment. 

I feel it lacked intrigue in the dialogue; I wanted more and wasn’t fulfilled.  The feelings I felt with the first one were oh so satisfying with my pallet and hunger for entertainment.  With this next one here, I feel it belonged in the box that some people wrongfully put the first one in.  I felt this all throughout the film … and then the end credits scene happened.  Man oh man did those feelings from the first film return … WITH A VENGENCE!  That entire sequence just SCREAMED at me, “we know what kind of movie we’re making here, the type of audience we need to reach to be successful, so let’s have some fun … again!” 

I no longer cared about less intriguing dialogue or wanting more intricate plot points or kept comparing it to the first one.  I finally turned my brain off and just enjoyed the film.  That’s the kind of film this is.  It’s just a shame I got to that state of being at the very end.  But I’m glad it came as I said afterwards, “You know, I’m glad these are a success and that Hollywood’s going to be pumping them out now.  I can’t wait to see what shenanigans our heroes will be thrown into next!  I’m fully on board!”  That’s what the ending sequence stated.  They made fun of themselves, with Hollywood being known for “milking it” with stuff like this, and had fun while doing it.  All the while, subconsciously putting you in approval of the next one when it arrives and the one after that and the one after that … they opened the door wide open for limitless sequels, all of them that you will approve of because they win you over with the ending of this 2^nd film.

That ending credits sequel spoke so many volumes on so many levels with its simplistic nature!  It gets you ready for the next film and every film after that.  All while telling your that the people behind these films know they’re milking it but they as well as you are and will have fun the entire time each film makes it debut.

THAT’S how you one up the last one!

THAT’S what made me rate this film so high, that one little part at the end.  It’s so much bigger than what people see it as. 

I can’t wait to see what shenanigans our heroes will be thrown into next! 

I’m fully on board!

22 Jump Street

Comedy, 112 Minutes, R

Based on the television series “21 Jump Street”

By: Patrick Hasburgh & Stephen J. Cannell

Story by: Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill

Screenplay by: Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Nick Offerman, Amber Stevens, Jillian Bell, & Ice Cube