22 Jump Street (Lord & Miller, 2014)

The success of my first review meant a follow-up was inevitable, so I've made sure not to mess with the formula too much, although this review was much more expensive to write.

What's it about? Fresh-faced rookie No longer fresh-faced, cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are nonetheless assigned to an undercover assignment where they must pose as high school college students to infiltrate a drugs gang. But former nerd Schmidt and former jock Jenko find high school college has changed a lot since their day puts a strain on their bromance. Fishes-out-of-water Relationship hijinks ensue.

Is it any good? I wasn't entirely sure I would like this this would pull off the same trick again, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was quite good fun, thanks again to appealing and funny performances by Tatum (showing a hitherto unsuspected continuing to show a talent for comedy) and Hill (showing a hitherto unsuspected continuing to show an ability to be thin). Okay, so Hot Fuzz 21 Jump Street pastiched the mismatched buddy, action-comedy cop-show a few years ago, but this also delivers good laughs, funny set-pieces and a couple of many, many knowing winks at the viewer about what they're doing here, as they gleefully take the piss out of the sequel formula, particularly in the very funny end credit sequence. It could have done with a stronger bad-guy and has a few too many dick jokes (if such a thing is possible), but it keeps things snappy and I laughed a few times, and not just because I was drinking at the time. Plus Ice Cube is in it, and he's just cool. (Cool? Ice Cube? Zing! What? What’s wrong with using the same joke again? Or the same review?)

Anything else I should know? Readers of a certain vintage will no doubt recall the cheesy 80s TV series, which launched the career of one Johnny Depp, also starred Richard Grieco, who went on to star in spin-off series Booker. And where there's a movie revamp sequel of an old TV show, there's bound to be a new cameo. Can you guess who it might be?

What does the Fonz think? Passes the test. Again.

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