REVIEW: 22 JUMP STREET

4/5

Catch-22

112 Minutes. Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Peter Stormare, Amber Stevens, Wyatt Russell, Jillian Bell & Nick Offerman. Director: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

 '21 Jump Street' makes the jump from the late eighties series with avenues of hilarious lines of comedy. Tatum and Hill turn out to have even more roads of talent than originally thought...wait a minute! Thats the review of the first film...and thats the point in this fantastic follow up that sends up all too similair sequels. Up jumps the 22 street, spring fakers boogie! That's right the latest 'Starsky & Hutch', 'Lethal Weapon' partners in crime of the 'Rush Hour' generation, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are back and these sons of bitches are going to college! After '21 Jump Street' took the old T.V. show that made Johnny Depp famous, gave him a cool cameo and the new budding, buddy cop, dynamic duo to new funny franchise tickling heights, we now of course have the obligatory sequel. Boy do these boys make light of this too in a heavyweight comedy coupling that give the sequel this Batman and Robin they deserve. Now in a blockbuster year and Summer season of films leaving us spoilt from superheroes to monsters we now have a classic comedy to add next door to the 'Neighbours' of Seth Rogen and Zac Efron too. Just mark the address '22 Jump Street', as the Koreans across the road brought the church back. Still the master builders of 'The LEGO Movie', Phil Lord and Christopher Miller can piece together another assembling with their cameo stars from their biggest film in what looks to be the best year for these versatile directors. Everything truly is awesome here.

With a new church for this comedy sanctimony, all praises to Channing Tatum. In a year where the 'High School Musical' graduate Zac Efron shows he is the new stepped up comedic knockout Tatum, who proves he has more to put up than those pin-up days, Channing gets his badge back as the funny man of the year. The second stealer, breakout at '21', shows he's got more than the look, being even funnier than his Oscar nominated, king of comedy co-star. After protecting the president in 'White House Down' and showing he can make his own classic cameos in 'This Is The End', this guy can do anything. Even with the pushed back, 'Jupiter Ascending' to next year, this Gambit is playing his cards right with his own 'X-Men' series of films coming up and even an 'XXL' edition of 'Magic Mike' about to take to the stage for you ladies. Guys don't worry though, if you don't already, you'll love this comedy stud after this one who bench presses the one-liners along with the Spring Break, beach body. Even with some films flopping and others rescheduled this 'G.I. Joe' is shapeing up to be Hollywood's biggest star and not only can this guy act, with this he's also sitting on the best comedy franchise today. The other half of this Hollywood power couple is the new king of the comedy hill...his name Jonah. You know? From 'Moneyball' the Oscar nominated star and new go to sidekick is swinging big and hitting the big bucks. Just ask Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese about this 'Wolf Of Wall Street' as they have more in store for this 'Superbad' star who proves he's no sidekick here, but one half of the ying and yang that makes for this perfect partnership. Going the opposite way of Tatum, Jonah has shown he has more acting skills than the comedy chops that make him Seth Rogen arguably the funniest man on the planet. From going undercover in a brilliant disguise to inking some face time with an Octopus, this guy brings the real gags back to the forefront of this super sequel. As these two college cops infiltrate the dealer and find the supply again, the idea of cheap, cashed in sequels is played to hilarious effect, for a running joke about this idea that amazingly thanks to its one liner script and perfect timing deliverance never gets old. Where the identical 'Hangover Part II' sort of worked, this does in as double down, straight side split with no chaser that drinks everything else under the table.

This is what happens when you add an Ice Cube to this drinking buddies comedy and on this 'Ride Along', the angry, foul mouthed N.W.A. legend still plays the angry captain police stereotype to the tip of the cap with his perfect hip-hop cameo wife. The man who once had a few choice words for law enforcement plays another cop this year and has more hilarious bullet points in his comedy chamber that show he could play Russian roulette with his two co-stars all day. If that wasn't funny enough for you then there's more Nick Offerman for your 'Parks and Rec' inspired, innuendo introduction. Add him to a rap sheet, cast list of the who's who from Peter Stormare and Jillian Bell, to Amber Stevens and Wyatt Russell then you have quite the table read. There's more classic cameos then those Rob Riggle and Dave Franco ones from the cell-block, but what happened to that rumoured Brad Pitt one? There may be a 'Moneyball' strike out here-in less I missed something-but theirs more star power over these lines to add to this punch. From Wi-Fi that runs and runs 24/7 to riding around in a football head, hey Arnold this is funny. With Tatum running round like a Terminator too there's enough action here to make these 'Bad Boys' make enough explosions to make Michael Bay proud too. There's no sophomore slump here in a movie that does the original proud and now we have a film that sits perfectly next to its partner like a 'Wayne's World', party time, excellent comedy couple. From the looks of things too, there's enough sequel streets to keep these boys jumping until they actually are 40. Then things may get a little old, but right now these kids are more than alright. Dude...where's my trilogy? TIM DAVID HARVEY.