I've had a question on my mind for the last three weeks, and after much reassessment, I think it's safe to finally ask. Is it blasphemous to cinema history to already call 22 Jump Street one of the best comedy sequels of all time? Before you immediately disagree, let's unpack that statement a little:
First off, I'm not saying that 22 Jump Street is anywhere near the list of best all-time comedies. The list of original comedies that are greater than 22 Jump Street is vast, and this movie probably wouldn't crack anyone's top 50. But what about comedy sequels? I have 22 Jump Street rated as an 8 out of 10, which could be a point high, but turns out to be exactly where it's currently sitting on IMDb AND exactly the same rating I gave 21 Jump Street when I put it in my Top 10 list of 2012. (Shameless self-promotion? Check!) 8 out of 10 is a good score from me...that's right at the mark where I separate really good from great.
Now sequels in their own right are hard to do correctly, but comedy sequels have a special task that's even more difficult than dramatic ones. In a dramatic sequel, the audience wants to see a movie expand upon the world from the first film. Think The Two Towers, The Empire Strikes Back, or even the recently released How to Train Your Dragon 2 (though that one is nowhere near the same level as the other two...just want to make sure that's clear).
When we go to see dramatic sequels, we go in already knowing the characters and their motivations. What makes these sequels great is that they put these characters in new locations that we previously didn't even know existed. The group of characters that we've come to know and that we want to see together get split apart, making for more emotional tension. The stakes are raised in bigger climactic scenes, new people get thrown into the mix that can change the course of the movie, and revelations about things that happened in the past can change our perception of the first film (or future films) entirely.
Comedy sequels can't do this. Most great comedies aren't concerned about plot or world-building, but rather with relationships between characters that are fun to watch. So when a studio green-lights a comedy sequel, what they really want is for the writers and directors to make the same movie but with new jokes, and maybe if one of the cast members has become a star since the last movie, give them a little more screen time. The marketing efforts trick the audience into thinking this is what they want too. But by the time the sequel is over, most people leave the theater feeling nostalgic for the first movie, yet indifferent about the second.
Think about recent comedy sequels you may have seen. Remember the worldwide anticipation for Anchorman 2? Can you quote any lines from it like you could from the first one? What about the Hangover trilogy? They're all rehashes that have funny moments, but in the end are extremely forgettable because they're basically the same movie. The best comedy sequels are few and far between, and tend to change up the formula just enough. Think National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (same family, but with holiday shenanigans that everyone can relate to) or Ghostbusters 2 (same city, different ghosts).
Enter 22 Jump Street. No movie has subverted the comedy sequel formula like this since Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me, and no movie has ever done it this well. From the start of the movie with the "Previously on 21 Jump Street" montage, to Nick Offerman's deadpan delivery about how the department has given Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) a bigger budget to do the exact same thing as the last time (see the trailer above), to that great camera gag with the 23 Jump Street condominiums that are currently under construction, and through to those end credits (more on those later) this movie is constantly making fun of the studio sequel model.
22 Jump Street is funny enough without the constant meta commentary, but the sequel jokes serve to push the laughs over the edge. Many of the jokes are the exact same, but because the movie calls out the purposeful similarity, it adds an entirely new level of hilarity. As 21 Jump Street flipped high school culture on its head, so 22 Jump Street does with college (like that zombie walk of shame shot with Schmidt or Jenko's musings on human sexuality). There's a ridiculous car chase (or two, because, you know, bigger budget), another drug trip, and more strain on the bromance between the two leads (but for opposite reasons than the first movie). And man, those end credits. Without spoiling too much for those that haven't seen the movie, I'll just say they are worth the price of admission alone. Phil Lord and Chris Miller completely blow up the chance for any further sequels (or maybe they've spelled out their plans for the next 40 years) with what has to be the best credit gag ever created.
Speaking of Phil Lord and Chris Miller, if you don't know those names yet, it's time to learn. This directing team is on fire: in the last five years, they've directed 2014's best offering so far (The Lego Movie), somehow revived the 21 Jump Street property (22 Jump Street had the second-highest opening weekend gross for an R-rated comedy ever), and released the underrated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Every film they've done has been a long shot, and they've all become bona fide hits.
Back to the initial statement of this post: I think 22 Jump Street has already earned its place in at least the top 5 comedy sequels of all time. You can think of this as either a gross overstatement (you're entitled to your own opinion) or as me giving a movie seemingly a lot of credit for what is actually a very narrowly construed category. ("Narrowly construed"...there I go getting all Constitutional Law-y on you. Sorry. Blame bar prep.) But honestly, what else would even be in your list? Home Alone 2? Rush Hour 2? D2: The Mighty Ducks (Minnesota!!)? No matter your list, go see 22 Jump Street. You won't be disappointed. And you might just walk out agreeing that it's one of the best comedy sequels you've ever seen.
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