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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

22 Jump Street
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, and Peter Stormare
About: In the Spring of 2012, “21 Jump Street” was reborn on the big screen. It once served as a cult classic TV show in the late 1980s, but the film version was met with skepticism. Was it really the kind of material that should be re-made? Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum answered any doubts with a film that was funny, paid tribute to its source material and potentially launched a new franchise. That was confirmed with the follow up, “22 Jump Street,” which debuted on June 13. In the two years since the original Hill has picked up a second Academy Award nomination and Tatum has further solidified his position as an action hero, but when they come back together on screen it just works. They deliver a film that continues the story of these characters in a fun way. Co-directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord are riding a hot streak. The pair helmed “21 Jump Street” then moved on to direct the pilot for Golden Globe winning sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “The Lego Movie,” perhaps the hottest animated film of this year. Now they’re back with Hill and Tatum in this wacky world of misguided under cover operations. One of the things I liked best about the original was the way it poked fun at itself — riffing on the comments people made about the movie before it debuted. This follow up does a lot of the same. The dialogue given to Nick Offerman, who plays Deputy Chief Harvey, is essentially a riff on the problem with sequels. In fact, the entire movie has a lot of fun with the idea of sequels and franchises. It’s worth staying through the credits for a more extended version of this gag. In terms of the plot and the movie, it’s not hard to tell what’s going to happen. There are a few hilarious surprises along the way, but this film follows a pretty familiar formula. But with “22 Jump Street” it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. The film has a strong supporting cast that adds to the fun. Ice Cube, who plays the surly captain, is given an expanded role in the film and makes the most of his scenes. And he, like the rest of the cast, is able to make fun of himself and have a good time. The most important, and most difficult aspect, of films like this is screen chemistry. It’s hard to judge before filming, but it makes a big difference to the final product. Tatum and Hill have great screen chemistry and an easy rapport in these films, and that makes a big difference. This is a sequel that outshines the original. There are a lot of jokes, a lot of fun sequences and, at the heart, a great screen partnership. That’s the winning formula for “Jump Street.”
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, June 27 — "Transformers: Age of Extinction," "Snow Piercer"