22 Jump Street is a 2014 American action comedy film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher
Miller, produced by and starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, and written by Michael
Bacall, Oren Uziel, and Rodney Rothman.
It is the sequel to the 2012 film 21 Jump Street, based on the television series of
the same name.
The film was released on June 13, 2014, by Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Plot Two years after their success in the 21 Jump
Street program, Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko are back on the streets chasing drug dealers.
They thought by going to actual college that they would be hunting down real criminals
once again.
However, unannounced to them, they were assigned to an online university, only looking for
key words and phrases during online lectures that might give off any indication of any
illegal crime happening around the city.
Eventually, they come across the meeting time and location of another powerful gang in the
docks.
However, after failing in the pursuit of a group of dealers led by Ghost, Deputy Chief
Hardy puts the duo back on the program to work for Captain Dickson—now located across
the street at 22 Jump Street.
Their assignment is to go undercover as college students and locate the supplier of a drug
known as "WHYPHY" that killed a student photographed buying it on campus.
At college, Jenko quickly makes friends with a pair of jocks named Zook and Rooster, two
football player fraternity members that become the prime suspects of the investigation.
Jenko starts attending parties with the jocks who do not take as kindly to Schmidt.
Meanwhile, Schmidt gets the attention of an art student, Maya, by feigning an interest
in slam poetry.
The two sleep together, to the disapproval of Maya's roommate Mercedes, and it is revealed
that Maya is the daughter of the vehemently disapproving Captain Dickson.
Despite sleeping together, Maya tells Schmidt not to take it seriously, and he starts to
feel left out as Jenko bonds more and more with Zook who encourages him to join the football
team.
Schmidt and Jenko visit Mr Walters and Eric in jail for advice on how to look for the
WHYPHY supplier.
Walters notices a unique tattoo on the arm of the dealer in the photograph and insists
that if they find the tattoo, they will have found their man.
Whilst hanging out with Zook and Rooster, Jenko notices that Rooster does not have the
tattoo but sees it on Zook's arm.
Schmidt and Jenko are invited to join the fraternity led by the jocks but Schmidt refuses,
furthering the tension between the two.
At a counseling session, they realize that perhaps Zook was buying the drugs rather than
selling them, and soon after find Ghost and his men on campus.
A chase ensues and Ghost once again evades the pair.
Jenko reveals to Schmidt that he's been offered a football scholarship with Zook and is unsure
whether or not he wants to continue to be a police officer.
Schmidt decides for him by telling officers on the scene that Jenko had nothing to do
with the melee caused by the chase.
Immediately afterwards, Schmidt moves out of the dorm and Maya finds out who he really
is and leaves him.
Dr. Murphy, a psychology professor who they visit early in the film, is deemed the supplier
when traces of WHYPHY are found in his office.
He is subsequently arrested and the case closed.
Schmidt, back on park patrol, realizes Ghost pays tuition for one of the students at the
university after looking in the case file.
Jenko spots WHYPHY circulating on campus again and determines the real supplier, still at
large, will go down to Puerto Mexico on Spring Break to spread the drug to other schools.
Jenko asks Schmidt for help so that the two can have one final mission together, and the
pair head to the beach where Ghost is likely to be dealing WHYPHY.
Inside a bar, they find Mercedes, revealed to be Ghost's daughter, as the supplier giving
instructions to other dealers.
They also find out their old roommates, nicknamed the Twins, are also in on the deal.
The pair, backed up by Dickson, ambush the meeting and give chase as they flee.
Mercedes is able to handcuff Dickson and take him hostage, pursued by Schmidt.
Meanwhile, Jenko goes after Ghost.
After a fist fight with Mercedes, Schmidt is held at gunpoint by her but Maya sneaks
up and knocks her out.
Schmidt goes to help Jenko who is now on the roof of a high-rise hotel in pursuit of Ghost,
who shoots Jenko in the shoulder once again.
Ghost attempts to escape in a helicopter and Jenko jumps across to it but struggles to
hold on with his injured arm.
Schmidt makes the same jump and the two fall into the sea, but not before Jenko is able
to throw a grenade into the helicopter, killing Ghost.
Back on land, Jenko tells Schmidt that he still wants to be a police officer as he believes
their differences help their partnership, and the two reconcile in front of a cheering
crowd.
Dickson approaches them claiming to have a new mission undercover at a med school.
During the credits, a series of mock sequels and vignettes are shown depicting the two
going undercover in various places, such as culinary school, dance academy, flight school,
seminary, and space camp.
Detective Booker returns in Jump Street Generations, and Ghost is revealed to have survived the
explosion, returning in 34 Jump Street: Return of the Ghost.
A fictional franchise is also born from the events of the film, including an animated
series, video games, and toys.
Cast Jonah Hill as Morton Schmidt
Channing Tatum as Greg Jenko Peter Stormare as Ghost
Ice Cube as Capt.
Dickson Amber Stevens as Maya Dickson
Wyatt Russell as Zook Jillian Bell as Mercedes
Jimmy Tatro as Rooster Nick Offerman as Deputy Chief Hardy
Dave Franco as Eric Molson Rob Riggle as Mr. Walters
Marc Evan Jackson as Dr. Murphy Kenny Lucas as Kenny Yang
Keith Lucas as Keith Yang Richard Grieco, Dustin Nguyen, H. Jon Benjamin,
Patton Oswalt, Queen Latifah, Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Diplo and Seth Rogen all make
cameo appearances.
Production On March 17, 2012, Sony Pictures announced
that it was pursuing a sequel to 21 Jump Street, signing a deal that would see Jonah Hill and
Michael Bacall return to write a script treatment that would be again developed by Michael Bacall.
The film was originally scheduled to be released on June 6, 2014.
On May 8, 2013, it was announced that the film would be pushed back a week until June
13, 2014.
In June 2013, it was announced the film would be titled 22 Jump Street.
In July 2013, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller confirmed they would return to direct the
film.
On September 6, 2013, Amber Stevens joined the cast of the film.
On September 27, 2013, Kurt Russell mentioned that his son Wyatt turned down a role for
The Hunger Games sequels to star in 22 Jump Street.
Principal photography and production began on September 28, 2013, in New Orleans, Louisiana,
with shots in San Juan, Puerto Rico as well, and ended on December 15, 2013.
Release Box office
As of July 9, 2014, 22 Jump Street has grossed $163.9 million in North America, and $69.7
million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $233 million.
The film grossed $5.5 million at its early Thursday night showings.
On its opening day it grossed $25 million, including the early Thursday showings.
In North America, the film opened to number one in its first weekend, with $57.1 million.
In its second weekend, the film dropped to number two, grossing an additional $27.5 million.
In its third weekend, the film stayed at number two, grossing $15.8 million.
Critical reception 22 Jump Street was met with positive reviews
from critics.
On the website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 85 percent based on 177 reviews,
with the consensus reading: "Boasting even more of the bromantic chemistry between its
stars — and even more of the goofy, good-natured humor that made its predecessor so much fun
— 22 Jump Street is the rare sequel that improves upon the original."
At Metacritic the film has a rating of 71 out of 100 based on 44 reviews.
Inkoo Kang of The Wrap gave the film a positive review, saying "If 22 isn't as trim and tight
as its predecessor, it's certainly smarter and more heartfelt.
Whether this sequel is better than the original is up for debate, but the franchise has definitely
grown up."
Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B-, saying "Hill's neurotic-motormouth
act and Tatum's lovable-lunkhead shtick still shoot giddy sparks."
Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film three out of four stars, saying "This is the ultimate
meta movie.
The repetition is exactly the point."
Kyle Smith of the New York Post gave the film two out of four stars, saying "What's the
difference between 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street?
Same as the difference between getting a 21 and a 22 at blackjack."
Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Hill
and Tatum ... have a Laurel-and-Hardy-like implausible chemistry that keeps you laughing
pretty much no matter what they're doing."
Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film four out of five stars, saying "What
makes it all work is the chemistry between Hill and Tatum, which in turn, of course,
is a rich source of the film's humor."
Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave the film three out of four stars, saying "The
peculiar sweetness of 21 Jump Street has taken a hiatus in 22 Jump Street, a brazen sequel
that's both slightly disappointing and a reliable, often riotous 'laffer' in the old Variety
trade-magazine parlance."
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three out of four stars, saying "22 Jump Street
is damn funny, sometimes outrageously so.
It laughs at its own dumb logic and invites us in on the fun."
Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film three out of four stars, saying
"A self-aware sequel has to hop over hurdles to keep from swallowing its own tail, but
the sharp writing and tag-team antics lift 22 Jump Street to a high level."
Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film three out of four stars, saying
"22 Jump Street is exactly what comedy is today.
It's coarse, free-flowing and playful."
Rafer Guzman of Newsday gave the film two out of four stars, saying "The movie is crammed
with jokes about how bad sequels are.
And guess what?
Exactly."
Colin Covert of the Star Tribune gave the film three and a half stars out of four, saying
"It's the sequel to end all sequels.
The only problem: It's so irresistibly funny it'll probably spawn a trilogy."
Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Like
its stars, Jump Street gets extra credit for getting by on charm while sticking to the
rules."
Ian Buckwalter of NPR gave the film a seven out of ten, saying "What separates 22 Jump
Street from sequel mediocrity is that everyone's in on the joke."
Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film three out of four stars, saying "If it
seemed Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill couldn't possibly exceed their over-the-top buddy cop
antics of 21 Jump Street, you lost that bet."
Ty Burr of The Boston Globe gave the film three and a half stars out of four, saying
"Lord and Miller are on a roll, and there may be no better moviemakers at playing to
our modern need for irony – at giving us the entertainment we crave while acknowledging
our distrust of it."
Tom Long of The Detroit News gave the film a B-, saying "There's no real reason 22 Jump
Street should work.
Yet it does."
Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger gave the film two and a half stars out of four,
saying "At what point is sarcasm just a cheap substitute for wit?
Exactly when does joking about how all sequels are just lame, repetitive cash-grabs start
to suggest that maybe yours is, too?
Actually, in this case, about 40 minutes in."
Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Though
I enjoyed enormously this latest offering in the rebooted Jump franchise, it's the effortless,
unexpected bromance/partnership between the two unlikely undercover cops is what makes
this franchise work."
Sean Fitz-Gerald of The Denver Post gave the film three out of four stars, saying "Jump
Street knows you know about the predictability and cheapness of sequels and rip-offs – and
in this case, to avoid the downfalls of other summer comedy sagas, embracing that problem
might have been the best move for this absurd, unique franchise."
Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film two and a half stars out of four,
saying "Does the meta-acknowledgment that everyone's in it for the bucks give a purposefully
dopey sequel more cred?
... You bet."
Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, saying "This sequel's
spoof of its predecessor's riff on the original 1980s-era buddy-cop TV show coalesces into
a raucous, raunchy, irreverent, imperfect riot."
Rene Rodriguez of the Miami Herald gave the film three out of four stars, saying "There's
something going on at the edges of the frame in practically every scene of 22 Jump Street,
a testament to the care and attention to detail directors Lord and Miller bring to this potentially
silly material."
James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying "There
are times when 22 Jump Street is borderline brilliant.
Unfortunately, those instances are outnumbered by segments that don't work for one reason
or another."
Jaime N. Christley of Slant Magazine gave the film two out of four stars, saying "As
funny and batshit insane as the movie often is, the fact that 22 Jump Street knows it's
a tiresome sequel doesn't save it from being a tiresome sequel, even as Lord and Miller
struggle to conceal the bitter pill of convention in the sweet tapioca pudding of wall-to-wall
jokes."
Scott Tobias of The Dissolve gave the film three and a half stars out of five, saying
"22 Jump Street squeezes every last drop of comic inspiration it can get from Tatum and
Hill, as well as the very notion of a sequel to such a superfluous enterprise."
Steve Persall of the Tampa Bay Times gave the film a B, saying "22 Jump Street is a
mixed bag of clever spoofery and miscalculated outrageousness.
The unveiled homoeroticism of practically all interaction between Jenko and Schmidt
is amusing to the point when it isn't."
Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post gave the film three out of five stars, saying "This
is a sequel that wears its well-worn formula, mocking inside jokes and gleeful taste for
overkill proudly, flying the high-lowbrow flag for audiences that like their comedy
just smart enough to be not-too-dumb."
Scott Foundas of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "22 Jump Street hits far more
often than it misses, and even when it misses by a mile, the effort is so delightfully zany
that it's hard not to give Lord and Miller an 'A' for effort."
References
External links Official website
22 Jump Street at the Internet Movie Database 22 Jump Street at Box Office Mojo
22 Jump Street at Rotten Tomatoes 22 Jump Street at Metacritic