22 Jump Street

The inevitable sequel to 2012’s parody of the hit ‘80s television series has arrived. This time Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) are going undercover in college to investigate the distribution of a new killer drug.

There is no stretch of the imagination here and they don’t even try to hide it. It’s the same story, with the same characters and similar jokes, only this time they have a bigger budget and they are in college instead of high school. Herein lies the bulk of the punchlines.

Tatum and Hill have an easy camaraderie that translates well onscreen and their characters’ relationship mimics the challenges that would face real high school friends transitioning to college. It’s somewhat endearing as a story arc.

There are some clunky sections that seem like the actors have been left to improvise too long, but similarly that is where some of the best material comes from.

Stick around for the spoof sequels in the credits – arguably the best bit of the film. (LL)

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