Parents' Guide to 22 Jump Street

Sequels rarely trump originals, especially when the first movies are as laugh-out-loud funny as 21 Jump Street was -- and 22 JUMP STREET is no exception to the rule. Though it's funny enough, especially when in massive "meta" mode -- one brilliant bit has characters commenting on everything from set design to the wastefulness of having the captain wear $800 sneakers that won't even be seen in the frame -- its comedic punches don't have the same power as its predecessor.

For starters, there are the jokes that border on homophobia. Ostensibly, the movie has Jenko gaining new insight into his own use of slur words, and yet his friendship with Zook is mined endlessly (and sometimes clunkily) for homoerotic jokes. Still, 22 Jump Street continues to successfully explore the complexities of male friendships (Tatum and Hill should bottle their chemistry). And the wild-and-wacky, anything-goes vibe that gifted the first film with such zest does run through this sequel, too, especially as Jenko and Schmidt navigate a new world order of earnest-but-crazy college professors, manic dorm-mates (shout-out to the Yang brothers, played with absolute hilarity by the Lucas twins), and dating confusion. But as one character jokes in the film, follow-ups are never as good as the first time. When the best joke turns out to be the film's closing credits (which take closing credits to another level), you know that lightning may have struck close by, but not in exactly the same spot.