22 Jump Street, as with its predecessor, was a surprisingly hilarious movie both mocking the genre while also giving us a half-decent plot, even if its copied from the first for a fair portion of the movie, and two leads who share some great on-screen comedic chemistry and timing.
22 Jump Street
(2014)
Genre(s): Comedy, Crime, Action
Sony | R – 112 min. – $40.99 | November 18, 2014
 |
MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller Writer(s): Patrick Hasburgh & Stephen J. Cannell (television series); Michael Bacall & Jonah Hill (story), Michael Bacall and Oren Uziel and Rooney Rothman (screenplay) Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Peter Stormare, Ice Cube, Wyatt Russell, Amber Stevens, Jillian Bell, The Lucas Brothers, Nick Offerman DISC INFO: Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (DTS-HD MA 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1) |
THE MOVIE – 4.0/5
When 21 Jump Street was announced, it was thought to be another lame TV-to-film adaptation; instead we got a fun, tongue-in-cheek, action/crime/comedy with two actors who shared great chemistry together. Add to all that, it also made some decent coin at the box office ($201M worldwide), and probably did well on DVD/Blu-ray, so a sequel was a given.
As promised, 22 Jump Street finds Officers Schmidt (JONAH HILL) and Jenko (CHANNING TATUM) given a new assignment, which is more of the same as the first, by Captain Dickson (ICE CUBE), sent to MC State to investigate the distribution of a new drug called “Wyfy,” which played a part of the death of a college student, and find the supplier and stop the spread of the dangerous drug.
The roles this go around have been reversed with Schmidt being the outcast while Jenko has become Mr. Popular especially with kindred spirit Zook (WYATT RUSSELL) and the pair become instant friends and become a one-two punch on the football field as well. Meanwhile, Schmidt is attracted to art major Maya (AMBER STEVENS) and the two hook-up on more than one occasion, each time leaving Schmidt to take the walk of shame home…
Yep, it is basically the same premise and the movie, in its opening with the police chief, acknowledges, although thankfully the jokes mostly work and the friendly on-screen chemistry between Hill and Tatum hits its stride that you can ignore that copycat nature of the plot, though they do throw a wrench for a third act “twist,” which is revealed in the numerous TV advertising the Blu-ray release.
22 Jump Street, as with its predecessor, by all accounts could’ve been a turkey of an action-comedy, not unlike Ride Along, but thanks to some clever writing, self-deference and spoofing the genre, it’s a fun movie through and through, just as good as the last not completely falling back on telling the same jokes.
The movie was helmed by hot directing duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller – who received high marks for The LEGO Movie – just do a great job with pacing which isn’t the easiest thing when it comes to comedy. I can’t wait to see what the pair do next, particularly outside of Jump Street and LEGO.
All around, from the cast, writing and direction, 22 Jump Street is a great film well worth a purchase especially if you’re a fan of the first. It’s one of the better sequels to come out in some time and just as surprising of a success as the previous incarnation.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5
This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover. Inside is a DVD Copy and a redemption code for the UltraViolet Digital Copy.
Audio Commentary – Once again, as with 21 Jump Street, we get a commentary track with Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller & Stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. As one would imagine, it’s a light-hearted track although the four do provide some behind-the-scenes information.
Deleted & Extended Scenes (39:52; HD) include 22 scenes that were trimmed and/or cut and although nice to have, and interesting as a couple were used during the end credits, they were rightfully cut out of the final version. There’s an optional commentary with the directors. 17 of these are ** Blu-ray Exclusives **.
The Perfect Couple of Directors (9:36; HD) is a profile of Phil Lord and Chris Miller giving an interview, though it’s mostly goofing off.
Everything is Better in College (7:49; HD) provides a basic behind-the-scenes look at the filming on location and setting the film in college. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Janning and Chonah (7:37; HD) looks at the pairing of Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill once again. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
New Recruits (9:45; HD) breaks down some of the new characters in the movie. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
The Perfect Line (7:09; HD) – Here we get a look at the process of using improv for various lines. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Don’t Cut Yet (8:36; HD) is more of the same with run-on scenes allowing the actors to get more out of their performances and comedy. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Joke-A-Palooza (5:59; HD) has alternate jokes for various scenes. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Line-O-Ramas (9:37; HD) is like the previous, just longer with different lines.
The Dramatic Interpretation of 22 Jump Street (9:59; HD) is an “alternate cut” to make the movie more dramatic for certain overseas markets.
Zook & McQuaid Scout Reel (2:17; HD) is the footage used in the movie, a reel to be sent to a major college the pair want to attend and achieve stardom. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Jenko Split (0:45; HD) is an overly dramatic scene with Jenko doing the splits. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
VIDEO – 4.75/5
22 Jump Street gets back onto the scene presented in its original 2.40 theatrical widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer. The picture is crystal clear, free of any flaws (artifacts, banding, pixilation, etc), details are sharp and colors are vibrant especially when we get to the third act during the spring break scenes.
AUDIO – 4.25/5
Disappointingly, Warner only included a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track instead of a 7.1 channel track but even so, the lossless audio still sounds incredible with excellent dialogue levels coming from the center speaker to the resounding score that fills any voids since there’s minimal sound effects. It’s a great aural experience all around and has a wide range from Price’s robust score to the utter quiet of outer-space.
OVERALL – 4.0/5
Overall, 22 Jump Street, as with its predecessor, was a surprisingly hilarious movie both mocking the genre while also giving us a half-decent plot, even if its copied from the first for a fair portion of the movie, and two leads who share some great on-screen comedic chemistry and timing. The Blu-ray released by Sony is well stocked with so good bonus features and a nice video/audio transfers.
The Movieman
Published: 11/14/2014