BEFORE: I was at the doctor's yesterday, got my last hepatitis vaccine shot and a flu shot as well (something I usually try to avoid, because the possible side effects include flu-like symptoms, plus you never know if they've correctly predicted which strain of flu will be going around this coming winter...) and I was able to prove to my doctor that I can lose weight. I've lost 18 pounds in four months, according to the doctor's scale - but I only made a small dent in my cholesterol level, so I'll have to maintain a diet of falafel and broccoli for a while. Still, I allowed myself a trip to a real NYC deli to celebrate the weight loss, though I realize that was probably counter-productive.
It's Part 2 of the Back to School chain today, and Seth Rogen has a cameo in here somewhere, so he carries over from "Neighbors", and at least two other actors do, too.
THE PLOT: After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college.
FOLLOW-UP TO: "21 Jump Street" (Movie #1,379)
AFTER: There are a lot of knowing winks at the audience in this one, with characters admonishing each other not to "do the exact same thing we did last time" or making sure to shout "Something Cool" (literally) during important slo-mo action scenes. The police unit headquartered at its new address on Jump Street is symbolic of the film itself, having been given a bigger budget and a larger "cast" of agents. And right across the street, a new development is being built at 23 Jump Street, complete with a "Coming Soon" banner, hinting at the next sequel.
But first our undercover officers have to track down drug dealers at the fictional MC State (College? University?) and they realize that they have different strengths, and need to separate to properly investigate a student's death. Their partnership is jeopardized when one has a romance with a girl, and the other forms a bromance with the football quarterback - and it's a bit of a twist, because if you had to pick which actor would do better with the ladies...
Meanwhile, most of the students peg them as narcs right away, or comment on how old they look. It's nearly a NITPICK POINT to have a man in his late twenties go back and play college football again, because you'd think there would be strict rules about players having to prove their ages to qualify for NCAA games. But I admit I know very little about college football rules.
More fraternity hazing tonight, plus (unlike "Neighbors") we get to see students going to classes! OK, so they're not really there to take classes, but that feels like a step forward. Plus we get football games and then before you know it, Spring Break rolls around - but it's too bad they have to spend their break finally tracking down the drug-dealing masterminds, and then figuring out if they can work together as mature adults going forward.
NITPICK POINT: The drug in the film is called WHYPHY (Work Hard Yes, Play Hard Yes) because it allows people to have intense focus for a few hours, then have an intense psychedelic trip - which sounds ideal for college life, cramming for exams and then going out to party. But why would kids be taking this drug on spring break, where there are no exams - wouldn't they probably just want to take a simple party drug like ecstasy?
As evidenced by all of the (fake) end trailers, they have the ability to keep on making more films in this franchise for many, many years.
That's going to wrap up August for me, I'm taking a few days off to go on another road trip to Atlantic City, which is probably also counter-productive to me losing more weight, since we love the buffets there. I don't mind missing a few days, I'll still have plenty of time to finish out the year, and this will even make my chain line up better with Labor Day.
Also starring Channing Tatum (last heard in "The Lego Movie"), Jonah Hill (ditto), Nick Offerman (ditto), Ice Cube (last seen in "21 Jump Street"), Peter Stormare (last seen in "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters"), Wyatt Russell, Amber Stevens West, The Lucas Brothers, Jimmy Tatro, Jillian Bell (last seen in "The Master"), H. Jon Benjamin, Rob Riggle (last seen in "The Internship"), Dave Franco (also carrying over from "Neighbors"), Craig Roberts (ditto), with cameos from Richard Grieco, Bill Hader (last heard in "Her"), Patton Oswalt (last heard in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"), Queen Latifah (last heard in "Ice Age: Continental Drift"), Anna Faris (last seen in "The Dictator").
RATING: 5 out of 10 hidden cameras
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