Disc Reviews
22 Jump Street Blu-ray Review
Who would have thought that first film would have worked so well? It did – largely thanks to the directing duo of Miller and Lord, but also the on-screen chemistry of Hill and Tatum.
Two down and out former students who have failed in life in different regards come together when they joined the police force, only to find themselves being sent undercover as brothers to break a drug ring at a high school. Hilarity ensued.
22 Jump Street seeks to largely repeat the success of the first (and it did) but this time sending the due to college instead. It’s shocking that the second film works as well as it does – often surpassing the original, even if it is often riffing on the sequelitis gags.
The film is slightly bloated at its 112 minutes running time. There is way too much forced drama in here which frankly no one is going to care about – especially when the next best gag is just round the corner. The film though plays to Hill and Tatum’s strengths, makes fun of their weaknesses and ends triumphantly with one of the best end credits gags known to man.
The Blu-ray is loaded with extras. There are 40 minutes of extended and deleted material (with optional commentary from the directors who will pinpoint you as a hardcore movie buff (or reviewer) for delving that deep).
The behind the scenes featurettes are fairly amusing if a bit throwaway. A gag reel as you might expect, but also some line-o-ramas where you just get to see actors on set throwing out some hilarious adlibs. There is a 10 minute version of the film with all of the jokes and comedy stripped out for anyone interested to see how that plays, and there is also the inclusion of Tatum’s “splits” video which hilariously aped the Jean Claude Van Damme Truck/Splits advert.
The gang of four also reunite for a commentary over the movie which completes the extras package. All in all a decent package for what is probably this year’s funniest film in mainstream cinema.
Steven Hurst