22 Jump Street (Rated T)
Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube
Genre: Action Comedy
Dwight's Rating: 3 OF 4
How To Train Your Dragon 2 (Rated A)
Cast: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett
Genre: Animated Action Fantasy
Dwight's Rating: 3 OF 4
Hollywood's obsession with recycling ideas continues -- likely to reach even greater heights this summer with movie sequels scheduled for practically every other week through at least the middle of August, and even more coming later in the year.
Of course, we all know a sequel can represent a hit-or-miss proposition, with most failing to capture the magic of the initial film. Luckily there are two reasonably good sequels to two well-regarded films in theaters right now, and one of them may in some ways be even better than the original.
The latter does not refer to "How To Train Your Dragon 2". Don't get me wrong, it is a fine movie, unfortunately, the 2010 original was such a masterful piece of filmmaking, that the sequel finds itself burdened to fill some very big shoes.
Beautifully animated and extremely touching in its surprisingly deep storyline, the original struck a perfect balance of humor, drama and suspense. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, it ultimately lost out to the equally impressive "Toy Story 3". Nevertheless, it is destined to be high on the list of the best-animated features of all time. That's a pretty tough act to follow!
The sequel takes place five years after Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless successfully ended the war between dragons and Vikings. This has led the Vikings to chart unmapped territories and explore new worlds. One of these adventures leads to a discovery that threatens to end the peace between dragons and men.
As with the original, the computer animation is simply stunning, and may lead you to question whether what you are seeing is indeed animated. Even in 2D, we are treated to near 3D visuals. How can the ripples in animated water look so real? How can we so vividly see the gentle impact of that calm breeze?
The challenge, however, comes as "How To Train Your Dragon 2" suffers from some of the usual issues afflicting sequels, whether animated or live action. As is the case here, new characters are brought in, and beloved characters are given reduced attention. Those additional characters mean additional stories and plotlines. The end result is an overstuffed affair. It still strives to be sentimental and emotionally touching, but feels busier and more overloaded than it should.
Thankfully, you do not necessarily need to have watched the previous movie to follow the action here. In fact, it might be better to have not seen the original; your expectations might not be as high.
On the other hand, with last weekend's other release, "22 Jump Street," it might actually be a good thing to have watched the original. There are countless references to that surprise hit. Loosely based on the late 1980s TV drama of the same name, 2012's "21 Jump Street" was a tongue-in-cheek look at the series, poking fun at a lot of the undercover "narc" aspects of the show.
This time, instead of going back to high school, Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) go undercover at a college to crack a deadly drug dealing operation.
Like the original, the sequel never takes itself too seriously, and is packed with puns and self-deprecating humor. Just when you begin to question implausible aspects of the plot, the various characters begin questioning it too. This ultimate buddy comedy also continues to play up the bromantic elements of the first film -- perhaps going a bit overboard with it.
The entire cast -- especially Hill and Tatum -- appears to be having fun. Even Ice Cube, whom I complained was way over-the-top with his angry cop routine in January's regrettable "Ride Along," seems to find the right mix of angry cop here, actually playing it for laughs this time. As a result, "22 Jump Street" delivers a steady stream of good-natured goofiness and wit, and builds on the surprising cleverness in the original.
Ultimately, both sequels are better than most, despite the inability of "How To Train Your Dragon 2" to live up to some lofty expectations. The pressure will continue for that franchise, as there's already another sequel in the works, with a third Dragon movie slated for release in 2016. As to whether there will be a sequel to "Jump Street," stick around for the credits, arguably some of the funniest moments in the entire movie.
Next up on the sequel carousel, "Think Like a Man Too" which opens today, and "Transformers: Age of Extinction" one week later, as Hollywood continues to milk any and everything it can.

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