22 Jump Street (2014)
I gotta admit I wasn't sure about this one till the credits rolled. That's because in many ways, this isn't your typical sequel, although it may not be immediately obvious. 21 Jump Street was about loser cops busting drug lords. 22 Jump Street is about loser cops busting drug lords. 21 was about the bromance of the main characters. 22 - the same.
After all, what could they have done? How many creative story ideas can one come up with considering the setup? Well, probably quite a few if they'd tried. The writers of this movie didn't try to do that. The only difference between this and the first movie is that now the main characters go to college.
However, there is something unusual about this flick. Unlike the first movie which was fairly realistic (that is for Hollywood comedy standards) and had
some 4th wall jokes, the sequel is all about the 4th wall, and doesn't seem to care at all about maintaining the illusion.
22 Jump Street is pretty much self-aware. The movie literally tells the audience not to take it seriously and then goes on to make fun of itself (primary of the very fact that a sequel for 21 Jump Street is a ridiculous idea). The story becomes just a vehicle for that kind of jokes to happen. That's why it can remain pretty much the same. It doesn't matter.
I wasn't sure how to feel about this at first. Initially, it felt like they went too far. I wasn't sure whether I'm watching a movie or... Yeah, exactly; or what?
Eventually, I realized that 22 Jump Street is a pretty rare and unique experience. Most importantly, though, it's quite fun once you accept it for whatever it is.