22 Jump Street

If this sequel is guilty of anything it is of flaunting total excess in the name of comedy.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, have clearly seen their share of crappy unnecessary sequels, and want to assure us that 22 Jump Street will follow proudly in that tradition.

'22 Jump Street' tries to catch a meta-wave on the shoulders of its stars, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

While much of this is pretty standard stuff, it's all easy to take thanks to the engaging performances from the two leads. The screenplay contains quite a few funny lines, and the direction by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller is crisp and efficient.

This sequel to the hit action comedy 21 Jump Street is better all around: the pacing is more consistent, the sight gags more imaginative, the self-referential jokes sharper.

22 Jump Street goes further than any other mainstream Hollywood comedy in normalising the emotional transactions between men.

Lord and Miller’s film bubbles with an endearing earnestness, a proud refusal to succumb to the all-out irony of the post-Family Guy age of comedy, and always seems more interested in having fun than taking pot shots.

Let's face it again. Genitalia jokes and people on drugs are still funny. Cringing over homophobia and stereotypes is always funny.

As frequent and riotous as the laughs are, the film’s recycling of self-aware commentary on its own status as a sequel is tiring.

Once again, Lord & Miller ... have done stupidity brilliantly.