I’d have seen this one sooner if I hadn’t been so busy selling tickets for it.

What’s It About? Bumbling undercover cops Schmidt & Jenko are assigned to run a drug bust at a local university; shenanigans occur.

STRAIGHT UP: Masterpiece. Maybe the funniest movie I’ve ever seen. 10/10

What I Liked

Jonah Hill & Channing Tatum as Schmidt & Jenko – I wonder if these guys were really even acting here. I completely believe in them as goofy best friends and would legitimately like to hang out with them.

Bromantic comedy – I’m just going to say that I admire this film’s sense of humor, and can relate to more than a few of the jokes here.

Continuity and growth – Schmidt & Jenko seem unusually dynamic for a pair of comedy protagonists; there is evidence of actual character development throughout the film, which impressed me when I took the time to think about it. Additionally, there are lots of funny callbacks to the previous movie that exist not just to be references in and of themselves, but also build up new scenes and new gags. Even in comedies, I love to see good writing techniques like these.

A sequel that justifies itself – Though 22 Jump Street includes some meta-humor about how unnecessary it all is, the screenplay finds ways to keep things feeling fresh. Unlike some sequels, this isn’t a situation where characters are doing the same things but in a different place.

That scene with Ice Cube – You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it. If you don’t laugh the entire time, check your pulse.

The end credits – Stay and watch them! They’re full of hilarious cameos and bizarre fake predictions for future Jump Street movies.

What I Didn’t Like

Playing it straight – Part of the fun of the previous 21 Jump Street was how it flipped elements of the standard high school setting on their heads. This time, Schmidt & Jenko more or less fall into the roles one would expect, though that doesn’t make the jokes any less funny.

CLOSING THOUGHT: There’s not a whole lot more I can say about 22 Jump Street without spoiling its most hilarious scenes, but I can’t stress enough that it’s a must-see, even if you haven’t seen the original. I get the sense that there won’t be a sequel to this one, but I certainly hope that Hill and Tatum do a project together in the future. Whatever it might be, I’m going to want to watch it. I also have to give all the credit in the world to Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, who have directed both of my favorite films this year.