Comedy sequels, as well as sequels in general, are very risky territory. You want to make your audience happy but at the same time, you don’t want to do the exact same movie over again. While some sequels are excellent continuations, some are sad shells of their predecessor. This is especially true with comedy sequels, not having a very solid track record. So, would the success of 21 Jump Street fall victim to the comedy sequel curse? Thankfully, the answer is a resounding no. But there is some give and take with the film. Yes, this is an excellent continuation of the story told in 21 but at the same time, it essentially is the same film as the first. The reason it works though is the fact that the film doesn’t hid that fact at all. They use every sequel cliche to full comedic effect, having several wink to the camera moments. 22 is essentially a comedy about sequels.
Like the original, 22 Jump Street relies on the chemistry between it’s two stars, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. Once again, the duo delivers in a big way. The two have a chemistry that I am hard pressed to find a comparison to. Hill and Tatum play off each other so incredibly well, it makes the jokes even better. Tatum especially has taken big steps towards becoming a great actor. While he still has a long way to go before I will consider him a great actor, he seems to have found a serious strength in comedy. His comedic timing is like he has been doing it for years. One scene in particular was funny because of Tatum’s excellent timing and feeling out the scene. Not to be outdone by his womanizing costar, Jonah Hill again excelled at his goofball brand of humor. Both characters had a good evolution and continue to pat their resume for best movie bromance. 
Like the first, there are plenty of surprises and Easter eggs to keep you entertained throughout. Some references are made to the previous movie as well as other action movies. While some are more obscure, most are very wink wink without the “looking at the camera while saying it” kind of cheesy. To get the full effect of the movie, I’d recommend seeing 21 again as a refresher but it doesn’t take anything away from the film if you haven’t seen the original. And a quick side note, you’ll want to stay till the very end, there is a hilarious end credit scene a la Marvel. In short, this sequel is everything a sequel needs to be. Great humor, and great character interaction and more than a few surprises. If you have any interest whatsoever in 21 Jump Street, go across the Street to 22!
movieguy17 