A hilarious sequel to end all sequels

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2014)

22 JUMP STREET is one of the most laugh-out-loud comedies I have seen -- and in nearly 50 years on this planet, I have seen plenty.
Before writing this review, I skimmed a few of the one- and two-star IMDb reviews posted for this movie, and I gave up on them after a while. Humor is *extremely* subjective, and what I find funny won't necessarily click with someone else (and vice versa); having said that, I have a fairly broad (though hardly all-encompassing) sense of humor, and 22 JUMP STREET worked for me on many levels. I am somewhat surprised that there are so many people that *didn't* like this movie -- and that they are so vehement in their disdain for it -- that I was moved to post my 2¢, because it almost seems like we saw two different movies.
The key to enjoying this movie is to appreciate its "meta-ness": as has been said in virtually every mainstream media review I have read for this movie, this is a sequel about "sequels". There isn't a sequel trope that isn't subverted at some point during this movie (some tropes are skewered multiple times from multiple directions). The filmmakers are in on the absurdity: about the only limitation they gave themselves is that they don't break the fourth wall -- if they did, every scene would begin or end with the actors looking at the camera and winking.
Now, if you don't like that kind of movie -- if you just want a movie to be about what you see on screen without thinking about subtext, in-jokes, meta-commentary, etc. -- then I can see why 22 JUMP STREET might not be your cup of tea.
(Aside: Speaking of "in-jokes" maybe it's because N.W.A.'s first record is 25 years old and maybe it's because I saw the movie in a predominantly white Chicago suburb, but there's a joke involving Ice Cube and "Straight Outta Compton" that had me howling, but I was apparently the only person in the theater who got it.)
I couldn't stop laughing during 22 JUMP STREET, and I can't wait for the Blu-ray so I can listen to the filmmakers commentary (and maybe find out what joke/trope references I missed).
I don't think it's a *perfect* comedy -- those are few and far between -- and if the IMDb system allowed reviewers to give half-votes, I'd probably kick it up to 8.5 votes. But it's very, VERY funny, IMHO, and I highly recommend it.
The movie has been out for exactly one month to the day as I write this review (July 13, 2014): the general consensus is that it has underperformed at the box office; however, seeing as it has taken in over a quarter of a BILLION dollars worldwide ($172+ million domestic), it seems to me to have performed just fine, and that it has connected with most of its audience quite well. (Plus, it doesn't have 3-D surcharges inflating its box office take, as do the top 6 grossing movies of 2014.)
For what it's worth, I attended this movie with a friend who hadn't seen 21 JUMP STREET, and he thought it was hilarious, too -- so you needn't see the first movie to enjoy "22" (though I'd urge you to see the first one so that the jokes which rely on familiarity with it register fully).