I am a big fan of 21 Jump Street. I distinctly remember seeing it in theaters and having a great time. It was one of my best movie theater experiences. I was not too thrilled when they announced a sequel, but the trailers had me convinced that they would do a good job. After seeing the film, I have to say it was a good comedy, but not as good as the original. The film offers continuous laughter, until it runs out of fuel in the last 20 minutes or so.
Partners for Life
The plot of the film is incredibly similar to the first, but they definitely added some refreshing changes. I really enjoyed those changes, and it prevented the film from feeling too familiar. I like how the characters referenced the similarity of the two plots, and it was a gag that always made me chuckle. Even though the film makes fun of the plot, I was still a bit bothered. Several moments felt too similar to the first film which hurt development of the characters, and they brought down my own enjoyment. The film also delivered consistent laughter right up until the last 20 minutes. It just ran out of steam, and delivered humor less frequently. Also, a particular character was in much of the final 20 minutes, and I absolutely despised her. I did not find her funny at all, and she kept reusing the same gag. It was not funny the first time, and it kept getting worse and worse.
Two Peas in a Pod
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were fantastic once more. A highlight of the film is the relationship between the two. I thought that it was well developed, even though it took some missteps here and there. Both Tatum and Hill excel in their roles. I thought both of them were even funnier this time around. Ice Cube was also really good. I thought he was funny in the first film, but he was even better this time around. He even delivered the funniest scene in the film. There were some funny cameos in the film, and the end credits were absolutely hysterical.
Closing Remarks
This was not the best film, but it was a very good comedy. I laughed quite a bit, but not as much as the first. Tatum and Hill were dynamite once more, while newcomer Jillian Bell was annoying as Mercedes. It is one of the funniest films of the year, and definitely worth the price of admission.