22 Jump Street - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Of the many hilarious scenes throughout 22 Jump Street, that rare sequel that is just as good as its predecessor, the arguably best moment still remains the "meet-cute" scene between Channing Tatum's Jenko and Wyatt Russell's Zook during football tryouts. This scene side-splittingly encapsulates the plot's central underlying theme where Jonah Hill's Schmidt feels threatened by another man who is perhaps a better match for Jenko. Like the first buddy-cop comedy, this equally witty follow-up cleverly satirizes various film tropes with most of the gags directed at the concept of movie sequels in general. However, one of the smarter aspects of this production from the Lord & Miller filmmaking duo is a story that comedically but effectively normalizes Schmidt and Jenko's bromance, which blossomed in the previous high school-themed episode and is put to the test when the two go to college together.

For a more in-depth take, check out Michael S. Palmer's review of the 2014 Blu-ray HERE.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings 22 Jump Street to Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a flyer for a Digital Copy, which can be redeemed via sonypictures.com and Movies Anywhere. When redeeming said code, users are granted access to the 4K Dolby Vision version with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio. The dual-layered UHD66 disc sits comfortably opposite a Region Free, BD50 disc inside a black, eco-elite vortex case with a glossy slipcover. At startup, the disc goes straight to an interactive main menu that changes screens when switching between the usual options while music plays in the background.

Living up to the theme of the plot, the sequel is an exact repeat of the first with a good-looking but still, somewhat average HEVC H.265 encode. Struck from the same 2K digital intermediate used for the Blu-ray, the upscaled transfer isn't much of an improvement over its 1080p predecessor, failing to show significantly better definition overall. Granted, several scenes show slightly sharper details, but they are, sadly, far and few in between. Thankfully, the 2160p picture is consistent and stable without any problematic artifacts to mention. 

Likewise, contrast and brightness balance doesn't improve much either, but the 4K transfer admittedly has it moments here and there. Daylight sequences, in particular, are a tad brighter with cleaner, gaudier whites throughout while specular highlights look crisper with a bit dazzling pop in some spots, most notably at the revamped Jump Street headquarters. In fact, in those same sequences, the scenes gain slightly inkier, velvety blacks, like the Captain's leather jacket, but for the most part, it's a small boost. At the same time, shadows enjoy a shinier, silkier sheen while maintaining excellent visibility within the darkest corners, providing the action with an attractive cinematic appeal and depth. 

Not surprisingly, the cinematography benefits the most from this graduation ceremony to UHD. The HDR10 presentation showers every scene with fuller, more lively primaries, like the cherry red in the bean bag chair and the lapis blue of the school's football uniforms. The surrounding foliage of the campus also looks more verdant and vibrant. But the secondary hues take the prize, displaying a bit more variety and pop in the fiery oranges of explosions. However, the scenes during Spring Break are when the action really comes alive, bursting on the screen with dramatic royal purples, dynamic magentas, hot pinks, zesty lime greens, vivid cyan blues and punchy buttery yellows. (Video Rating: 78/100)

As with the video, so too this new Dolby Atmos soundtrack offering plenty to satisfy fans but doesn't really compare to some of the best currently available. As would be expected from a character-driven comedy, much of the attention is placed on the hilarious dialogue and silly interactions, and every line and joke is crystal-clear and precise from beginning to end. A distinct, detailed mid-range also keeps the action-packed hijinks well-defined and dynamic while a palpable low-end delivers a boisterous, accurate bass to the song selection and various visuals. Several ambient effects smoothly pan between the surrounds and subtly across the overheads, but it doesn't really generate the sort of immersive audio we've come to expect. The object-based track better use of the fronts and top heights, creating a spacious, half-dome soundstage that's effective and highly-engaging. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 76/100)

The same set of supplements of the previous Blu-ray are ported over for this UHD edition, but fans will rejoice with glee to see a new collection of bonuses on the Ultra HD disc. 

Ultra HD Disc

• How to Fight Funny (HD, 9 min)
• Big Time Action (HD, 8 min)
• Ice Cubed (HD, 8 min)
• Constructing Jump Street (HD, 7 min)
• Jump Street Spring Break (HD, 6 min)
• Inside Whyphy (HD, 5 min)
• Johnny Pemberton's Nonsensical Tour (HD, 5 min)
• Ssshhhh: The Deleted Scene Library (HD, 4 min)
• Dick Graze (HD, 2 min)
• Trailers (HD)

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary
• Featurettes (HD, 51 min)
• Everything Is Better in College
• Janning and Chonah
• New Recruits
• The Perfect Line
• Don't Cut Yet
• The Perfect Couple of Directors (HD, 10 min)
• Line-O-Ramas (HD, 10 min)
• Jenko and the Professor
• Jenko Improv Suggestions
• Schmidt and Tattoo Art
• Mercedes on Schmidt's Age
• Mercedes and the Ghost
• The Dramatic Interpretation of 22 Jump Street: The Version without the Jokes! (HD, 10 min)
• Joke-A-Palooza (HD, 6 min)
• Zook & McQuaid Scout Reel (HD, 2 min)
• Jenko Split (HD, 1 min)
• Deleted & Extended Scenes (HD, 40 min)
• Trailers (HD)

From the talented filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, 22 Jump Street is that rare sequel that's as hilariously good and satisfying as its predecessor. Reuniting Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, the buddy-cop comedy follows the partners repeating the exact same thing as before, but their bromance is put to the test when trying to navigate the college experience. The pair of bumbling undercover cops graduate to Ultra HD with a great-looking 4K HDR10 presentation and an excellent Dolby Atmos soundtrack, providing fans with an appreciable step-up over its Blu-ray counterpart. Porting over the same set of supplements along with a wealth of new bonuses, the overall package earns high marks on Ultra HD.