22 JUMP STREET Is More of the Same, But Totally In On the Joke

22 JUMP STREET Review:

- Much has been written about the comedy sequel. Historically, most simply just aren't that good, and many critics and commentators have tried to understand why that is. Essays and think-pieces ponder the nature of comedy and joke-telling. "Comedy is all about surprise and novelty," so therefore a sequel inherently loses what made the original compelling. "Since all the obvious jokes have already happened in the first film, a second one is just a broken record." "There's too much pressure to repeat what worked in the first film, and the result is that a sequel feels played out," etc. All true, to an extent. But really, none of that is impossible to overcome with great jokes and smart writing. Good comedy sequels are possible, and they do exist. And 22 JUMP STREET is one of them.

What's interesting is that directors Chris Lord and Phil Miller, and their team of writers, seem semi-obsessed with not just making a sequel, but with this very *idea* of sequels. After the massive creative success that was The Lego Movie, Lord and Miller are now established as guys who take ideas that shouldn't work, but make them work - with a quirky sensibility that tends to explore the film's concept at a meta level. Okay, so 22 JUMP STREET may not be an obvious film to go that route with, but hey, neither was The Lego Movie. And neither was the original 21 Jump Street movie. The pair took a reboot idea that felt unnecessary and pointless and made it its own thing, and basically made fun of the very concept of pointless reboots. In turn, 22 Jump Street is filled with jokes about being a sequel, about the nature of sequels, and many fourth-wall-breaking gags that are fully self-aware that we're watching a sequel that could and maybe should, inherently, suck. What this means is that for every moment in the movie that could feel cliched or contrived, Lord and Miller are able to coat it with a very heavy dose of self-aware, self-referential humor.

And that helps 22 JUMP STREET feel light, breezy, and in on the joke. What makes it work is that the writing is, mostly, very sharp. And, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are once again at their best, perfectly pulling off the big, silly, and self-aware tone that the movie is going for. The two are, again, a fantastic and very funny odd couple. Hill is one of the best at doing tightly-wound comedic schtick, and there's a line in the movie that hilariously sort of sums him up: "you look like a 30-year-old 8th grader." It's that mix of child-like innocence and past-his-years neuroses that makes the dude so funny. As for Tatum, I still find myself surprised at just how good his comic timing and delivery is. I wouldn't mind seeing him stick to comedy, because while he's been solid in his more dramatic roles, he seriously kills it in these movies.

The leads are also accompanied by a very, very strong group of supporting actors. Of special mention is Jillian Bell (Workaholics) as an uptight antagonist who becomes Hill's nemesis. Bell is so great on shows like Workaholics and Eastbound & Down - it's great to see her get a prominent role in this movie. Some of the best scenes in 22 Jump Street are her and Hill playing off one another. Ice Cube is also back and very funny as Hill and Tatum's gruff, hard-ass of a boss. Rob Riggle and Dave Franco return with brief but funny cameos, and Nick Offerman pops up to deliver some meta/funny dialogue as only he can. Amber Stevens is pretty solid as a love interest for Hill (though seemingly way, way out of his league). Peter Stormare is the one who feels just a little bit wasted as the movie's Big Bad - seemingly a little too reigned-in and run-of-the-mill considering that he's Peter freaking Stormare.

One random but cool casting thing in the film: Tatum's new-found best bud is a long-haired dude-bro played by none other than Wyatt Russell, son of Kurt Russell. Crazy! The guy looks like his dad, and is actually really funny in this in his scenes with Tatum. We need a father/son action-adventure movie asap. John Carpenter, if you're reading this: make this happen.

Now, what I will say is that all of the meta-jokes and self awareness about the pratfalls of sequels only go so far. Because the fact is, jokes aside, a lot of the movie is in fact basically repeating the plot of the original. Yes, it's covered up by the fact that it's joked about and referenced in the movie's script. But even so, the movie does at times have a been-there, done-that feel. Hill and Tatum, as goofy cops Schmidt and Jenko, are sent undercover to pose as college students and bust a deadly designer-drug ring. Once again, the two have to re-acclimate to a life they're many years removed from, and find their way with their new peer groups. In the first movie, the twist was that Hill became a cool-kid, while Tatum was more of an outcast. Here, Tatum's Jenko joins the football team and joins a frat, while Hill's Schmidt feels he's losing his friend to new teammates and frat-brothers (don't feel too bad for Hill though - he inexplicably shacks up with Amber Stevens, whom he meets at a comically-pretentious poetry slam). But yes, many of the jokes wear a bit thin, and sometimes the movie does seem to forego the more clever and witty humor for cheaper stuff. Meaning, as much as the movie tries to poke fun at the dude-bro jock culture embodied by Jenko and Wyatt Russell's character, it also tends to embrace it and aim some of its jokes squarely at that demo. It makes fun of those sorts of low-hanging fruit jokes, but it also doesn't always shy away from them.

One thing with Lord and Miller though - even with comedy, they are never just point-and-shoot directors. In similar fashion to this summer's Neighbors, they make their comedy very cinematic. And they do big action very well - providing the film with some legitimately pretty-awesome chase scenes and shoot-outs.

So what it all boils down to is that 22 JUMP STREET is a very funny movie, but it's almost like all the crazy jokes, big action scenes, and meta-references are there to not-so-subtly distract you from the fact that, at the end of the day, the movie *is* sort of pointless. I guess one way to look at it is that if they are going to make 22 JUMP STREET, they might as well do it in this anything-goes, "we're in on the joke" sort of manner. And you might as well get inventive, creative, outside-the-box guys like Lord and Miller to put what could have been a painful exercise in pointless sequel-making through their funhouse filter of crazy. And yet, how good can a movie really be if it feels like no one *really* wanted to make it, and is just doing everything in their power to then rag on the concept in a self-deprecating, funny way? It's funny - the best and most clever scenes of the whole film may be the post-credit "what-if?" teasers for future sequels, in which every extreme iteration of the franchise is played out - from vet school to rabbinical school. It's hilarious because it's Lord and Miller just dumping all over the whole concept of the never-ending, stretched-past-its-prime franchise. And yet, it's also a reminder that, as funny as these guys can make 22 Jump Street, it's probably also high time that they made the movie they want to make, that they are passionate about, that can be its own thing and not *need* to rag on itself in order to work. In the meantime though, there are far worse - and few funnier - ways to spend a summer night at the movies.

My Grade: B+

THE LEGO MOVIE Is a Triumphant, Imaginative, Surprisingly Deep Meta-Adventure

THE LEGO MOVIE Review:

- How did this happen? I don't think anyone anticipated that THE LEGO MOVIE would turn out not just to be an instant-classic animated movie, but one of the most fun family films in years. And yet, thanks to a funny, fantastic script, eye-popping animation, and an all-star voice cast, this film defied the odds and is not just better than it had any right to be, but a great film by any measure.

THE LEGO MOVIE comes to us from the team of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who have brought humor and heart to movies as diverse as the animated Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and the recent, raunchy, 21 Jump Street reboot. These guys are good - very good - at what they do. And they help to ensure that The Lego Movie is visually dynamic, but also incredibly clever and smart.

The genius originates from the script by Lord, Miller, and Dan and Kevin Hageman. I can't stress enough: the script to this film is flat-out brilliant. The way that it dispenses critical information in a way that's completely economical - but also super-imaginative and super-funny - is worthy of the highest praise. I could go on and on, but I'll talk for a second about the movie's fantastic premise ...

The script imagines a Lego world that has become a sort of mass-delusional authoritarian dystopia, in which the rank-and-file workers have been brainwashed into a sort of gleeful delirium. All of these little yellow Lego people live their lives per their designated instructions - never deviating from the rules that dictate every aspect of their existence. The populace is lorded over by President Business (voiced by Will Ferrell), who poses as a benevolent leader, but who is secretly Lord Business - a scheming, evil mastermind whose ultimate goal is to impose total order to every Lego land, eliminating all individuality, randomness, chaos, and creativity. When a regular-joe builder named Emmett (Chris Pratt) deviates from his usual rule-regulated routine, his eyes begin to open to the oppressive nature of his world. He's taken in by rebellious, rainbow-haired Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), who believes that he might just be the Chosen One prophesied by rebel leader Vitruvius  (Morgan Freeman). Joined by a motley crew of freedom fighters, Emmett and company formulate a plan to end the tyrannical reign of Lord Business and bring individuality and creativity back to their world.

What takes the story to another level is how well the script both plays with the well-worn tropes of the classic "chosen one vs. evil empire" story. The film is super aware not just of itself, but of the pop-culture multiverse from which it draws inspiration. This manifests not just on a meta level, but on a really fun surface level. We get a Lego world where Emmett and Wyldstyle exist alongside the likes of Batman (she's dating him), Gandalf, Dumbledore, Han Solo, Shaquille O'Neal, and many, many more. There hasn't been this sort of gloriously crazed pop-culture character mash-up since the days of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

But again, the film isn't just satisfied to have these characters cameo. This version of Batman, for example - hilariously voiced by Will Arnett - is a brilliant parody of what Batman has become in pop-culture in recent years - an uberconfident, all-powerful guy who's actually sort of a jerk. While Batman is the most prominent pop-cult character in the film, every appearance is utilized for maximum effect. The Star Wars cameos absolutely kill. The other superheroes that pop-up? Hilarious.

But really, the heart and soul of the film is Emmett. And man, Chris Pratt just nails it - bringing the same sort of lovable charm he shows each week as Andy on Parks and Recreation. But again, what makes Emmett so great is that he's *not* just a Luke Sywalker clone. Despite being hailed as a chosen one, Emmett never loses his averageness, his goofiness, or his dogged and legitimate love for following instructions. THE LEGO MOVIE, in that respect, never devolves into cliche. The movie is always one step ahead, and instead of Emmett having to step up and embrace some previously-unfathomable destiny, he instead realizes that he's got all the tools he needs to make a difference - he just needs to cleverly apply them to the situation at hand.

What's remarkable is that Emmett, Wyldstyle, Lord Business, and the other main characters of the film have remarkable dimension. Even side characters like Liam Neeson's Bad Cop/Good Cop, or Charlie Day's Benny the 80's Spaceman have unexpected depth.

The movie puts character first, but it also takes on some really big, really heady stuff. The opening scene of the film is a brilliant montage, showing us the preternaturally-happy residents of the Lego world, cheerfully singing the "Everything Is Awesome" song and going about their daily routines. But everything feels artificial and forced, and the characters act so unquestioningly and obediently that their is the unmistakable scent of dystopia in the air. Of course, this is all a very, very sly take on our world, the real world. In one brilliant opening sequence, these cartoon characters have completely and brilliantly skewered our oft-times conformist, consumerist culture. And not only that, but they've dissected that intangible sense of creativity and freedom that is inherent in children, but lost in adults. It's the creativity that makes playing with toys like Legos a joy, and it's that same creativity that Lord Business - the quintessential "adult" of this world - is intent on eliminating.

And man, the movie does a great job of getting at these big, satirical, philosophical issues early on. But later, the film flips the switch and goes somewhere very unexpected: the real world. Now, this could have been a huge mistake if handled indelicately. But when THE LEGO MOVIE suddenly morphs into live-action, and we see the human embodiment of Lord Business - Will Ferrell - as not an evil, power-mad dictator, but as a regular (if slightly OCD) dad ... well, it's then that the film introduces a very real, emotional element to the plotline. The emotional stakes of the movie are driven home: Emmett and Wyldstyle's quest is that of all of us: to hold on to our childlike impulses and creativity and individuality in the adult world. And Lord Business is the at-times well-meaning, but ultimately oppressive force of adulthood, of consumerism, of conformity. Holy $%&# - THE LEGO MOVIE isn't messing around, people.

THE LEGO MOVIE can be watched and enjoyed completely at a surface level. It's got whiz-bang action scenes, colorful characters, rapid-fire and insanely clever jokes, and more pop-culture references and parodies that you can shake a stick at (I haven't even touched on how cool the animation is - looking sleek and shiny yet also capturing an almost stop-motion feel that perfectly fits the  That winning combo alone would make it one hell of an enjoyable animated film. But beyond that, there is some seriously smart stuff going on in this film. It's a movie that on a micro level looks at how people play with Legos, but on a macro level looks at how we change from children to adults and what we lose in the process. It tells that story and addresses such weighty themes with surprising clarity of purpose and emotional depth. The same kind of pangs you might have felt while watching the Toy Story films are very much present here. Everyone and anyone who was ever, once, a kid playing with Legos will feel an instant sense of recognition while watching this film. And yes, some of that will be surface level - nostalgia for 80's spaceman Legos, etc. But some will come about in those real-world scenes between a father and son, scenes that pit an adult's need for order and logic against a kid's desire for wonderment and imagination and no-limits.

The fact that the movie works on so many levels is a pretty amazing and impressive triumph. I guess it's sort of embodied and encapsulated by the "Everything Is Awesome" song. One one level: uber-catchy pop song. On another level, early in the film: an oppressive hive-mind slave-song - the self-medicated, self-delusional cry of the worker bee. And finally, by the film's end, it morphs into a triumphant rallying cry - a reassurance that everything can and will be okay, even if it's imperfect and unpredictable and chaotic.

And yeah, all of this is in - of all things - The Lego Movie - which might just be the best animated film of the last few years. Who would ever have predicted that?

My Grade: A-