The most 'self aware' sequel ever made

Rating: 6/10 (18 December 2014)

The first film, '21 Jump Street,' was a surprise hit. How do we know? Because the cast of '22 Jump Street' tells us as much in the script. At first I wondered whether I was imagining it, but then I realised it was basically the 'running joke' of the movie that the film-makers were only too aware how lucky they were to get the chance to make a sequel.
In fact, the story is exactly the same as the first – two junior cops must infiltrate high school in order to catch the bad guys. This could be considered a 'weak point' in the plot, yet the film happily exploits its own 'failings' on order to draw laughs from the fact that it's basically the same as before.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have really good chemistry as the two leads and their dynamics is what saves the film. I didn't expect to like the first film and was as surprised at how good it was. However, I did think that – despite the good, self-aware gags – it was less funny than its predecessor. That's mainly the middle of the film when it does tend to drag a bit. The first and last third seem to play better when it comes to laughs.
If you liked the first film, I'd say you might as well see this one, too. It's not quite as sharp, but there is just enough laughs (apart from the 'self aware' stuff) to warrant your time, although I didn't think it was as good as some critics have been saying. I heard a lot of people saying how it surpassed the original. I wouldn't agree with that, but it is okay, just not great.