22 Jump Street followed the original in delivering a huge hit for the comedy franchise, but also achieved something almost unheard of in the genre. While the original 21 Jump Street show starring Johnny Depp was a hit in its time, there were few people who thought a comedy movie reboot was a good idea.
21 Jump Street proved a lot of those critics wrong with a hilarious R-rated comedy that also worked as a send-up of action movies. Stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill made for a great comedic duo as two young cops going undercover as high school students to take down a drug ring.
The movie scored 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned over $200 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). With that kind of success, it was inevitable that 21 Jump Street would get a sequel, but 22 Jump Street was an even bigger surprise success for overcoming a long-held comedy movie curse.
22 Jump Street Is A Rare Comedy Sequel That’s Better Than The Original
22 Jump Street Was Also A Bigger Box Office Hit
From The Empire Strikes Back to The Dark Knight to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, there are sometimes sequels that are better than the original. As rare as that is for the average sequel, it is even rarer for the comedy genre. However, 22 Jump Street defied the odds in being even better than its terrific predecessor.
As funny as 22 Jump Street is, the sequel has several moments that have cemented it as a modern comedy classic.
The chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum is another huge selling point for the movie, while Ice Cube’s Captain Dickson gets a hilarious expanded role. Along with some other returning characters, the sequel adds some fun new characters, like Jenko’s jock friend, Zook (Wyatt Russell), and the awkward villain, Mercedes (Jillian Bell).
As funny as 22 Jump Street is, the sequel has several moments that have cemented it as a modern comedy classic. 22 Jump Street‘s “My name is Jeff” scene has become a favorite meme, while the scene in which Jenko realizes Schmidt slept with Dickson’s daughter still gets laughs more than a decade later.
22 Jump Street received similar praise from critics, earning a nearly identical score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the first movie. However, the sequel was also a significantly bigger hit at the box office, earning $330 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). All of this success defied the odds as there have been few comedy sequels better than the original.
Why Is It So Hard To Make A Comedy Sequel (And How Does 22 Jump Street Pull It Off)?
Too Many Sequels Try To Recreate The Same Laughs
22 Jump Street may be a superior comedy sequel, but it is hard to think of too many other examples in the genre. The difficulty is partially with it being so hard to get new laughs out of a familiar situation.
22 Jump Street avoids this by leaning into the fact that sequels just rehash the same ideas.
A comedy is expected to deliver something similar to the original, but this can be detrimental to being funny. The Hangover was a critically acclaimed comedy hit, but its sequel, The Hangover Part II, tried to recreate too many of the same set pieces and redo the same gags, leaving it feeling lazy.
22 Jump Street avoids this by leaning into the fact that sequels just rehash the same ideas. The plot is virtually the same as the original, following Schmidt and Jenko taking down a drug ring in college. These similarities open the door to self-aware jokes about them doing the same thing all over again, since it has proven to work.
Of course, the movie is also willing to mix up the formula and even the tone of the movie. It leans into the absurd and embraces the meta comedy even more, including the hilarious post-credit scene of endless Jump Street sequel ideas. The new characters add a fresh feel, only following that formula to a certain point.
Ultimately, the audience is made to feel they are getting something familiar and what they loved the first time, while the movie is actually being bolder with how much further they are willing to push the wildness of the franchise. It would have been a lot of fun to see how that might have grown in future movies.
The Cancelled Jump Street Crossover Could Have Made For A Rare Great Comedy Trilogy
Jump Street Almost Made An Ambitious Genre Switch
22 Jump Street may be one of the rare great comedy sequels, but we were robbed of what could have been the even rarer great comedy trilogies. With the success of 22 Jump Street, it makes sense that there were plans for the sequel to continue. However, their plans for where to go next were bolder than you might expect.
It was revealed that there were very real talks about doing a Jump Street/Men in Black crossover in which Schmidt and Jenko would join the top-secret agency overseeing alien activity on Earth. However, the rights to the franchises couldn’t be worked out, and the idea was abandoned.
While it is hard to say what the movie really would have been, it is obvious that the franchise was continuing with what worked with 22 Jump Street, pushing the audience’s familiarity to some wild new places. This could have made for a great third movie in the franchise, though there is hope for a 23 Jump Street of some kind.
Other Comedy Sequels Have Managed To Overcome The Curse, Like 22 Jump Street
There Are Some Big Comedy Sequels On The Way To Be Hopeful For
22 Jump Street certainly stands out as a comedy sequel that outdoes the first movie, but there are a few other examples. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me delivered the same spy movie spoof antics, but with the added hilarity, thanks to characters like Mini Me and Fat Bastard.
Addams Family Values takes the quirky characters and winning cast of the original and pulls off a more confident sequel. The story is sharper, and the movie feels less afraid to lean into the dark comedy of this world. When thinking of the best moments of the franchise, it is likely that fans are thinking of this sequel.
Spoof movies like The Naked Gun 2 1/2 and H๏τ SH๏τs! Part Deux also finds plenty more material with endless gags and the ability to tell a very loose plot. However, amid the endless comedy sequels that have come, it is quite surprising that these are among the only notable mentions.
Some of the most beloved comedies of all time, like The Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters, Anchorman, and Caddyshack, have delivered sequels that have ranged from forgettable to disastrous. With other big sequels like Spaceballs 2 and Happy Gilmore 2 coming, hopefully, the curse can be broken more often, as 22 Jump Street managed to do.
Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes
