BLU-RAY J JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK

JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK

Written by TroyAnderson Nov 9th 2009 Hits: 929 Favorites

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THE PLOT THUS FAR

With sidesplitting dialogue and rampant profanity, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back reunites Kevin Smith's dynamic duo in supreme lowbrow style. It's the fifth comedy in Smith's celebrated New Jersey "trilogy." Here Quick-Stop potheads Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) wreak vengeance on Hollywood, where Miramax is making a "Bluntman & Chronic" feature inspired by J. and S.B., but without their permission. En route from Jersey to La La Land, Jay and his "hetero life mate" encounter sexy jewel thieves (including the delightful Shannon Elizabeth), a precocious orangutan, a dimwit wildlife marshal (Will Ferrell), and a nonstop parade of in-jokes, harmless (yet controversial) gay jokes, and splendid celebrity cameos. While gently biting the Miramax hand that feeds him, and paying affectionate homage to the Star Wars saga, Smith sheds all inhibitions to give Jay and Silent Bob a stellar sendoff that's nasty, sassy, and undeniably hilarious.

WHAT WE THOUGHT

This film was billed as being the last Jay and Silent Bob flick ever. But, after the gross disappointment of “Jersey Girl”, Kevin Smith decided to return to the well for “Clerks 2”. But, let’s take a look at this Jay and Silent Bob adventure today. It is equal parts “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” and “Up in Smoke”. But how did it compare to the previous outings? Let’s star the review.

The film opens on Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) as little kids back in the 1970s. After an inspired opening scene, we move into the present where we find the two stoners on the perch between RST Video and Quick Stop. After bothering the clerks Randal (Jeff Anderson) and Dante (Brian O’ Halloran), they have a restraining order placed to keep them away from the store. This sets Silent Bob and Jay off to Brodie (Jason Lee) and his comic shop. Brodie tells them about the Bluntman & Chronic movie being made about them.

The duo finds out that they haven’t been paid for the flick, so they leave to find Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck). Holden tells the guys that he sold off his share of Bluntman & Chronic a long time ago, but the Internet buzz states that the flick will do well. Jay and Silent Bob don’t understand what the Internet is, so Holden gets to explain to them. Hilarity ensues, as the duo plans a road trip to stop the movie from getting made. Along the way they meet a hitchhiker (George Carlin) that teachers them how you can get across the country for free if you take a shot in the mouth.

This sets off a cross country odyssey where they run afoul of a team of lesbian jewel thieves (Ali Larter, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith and Eliza Dushku). The jewel thief Justice (Shannon Elizabeth) tries to befriend them, but she accidentally ends up turning them into decoys. This leads to the stoners and their orangutan friend Suzanne being chased by Wildlife Marshal Willenholly (Will Ferrell). The guys end up losing Suzanne, so they head to Hollywood with two goals; to stop the movie and to get their monkey back. It’s a noble adventure if I ever heard one.

But, it’s in the final act where the flick loses steam. Everything goes into uber parody mode, as Jay and Silent Bob finally reach the set of the Jay and Silent Bob movie. This flick suffers the same fate as “Dogma”. Interesting premise matched with great humor that turns into the same cliché material in the final thirty minutes. There’s no original thought, it’s just an effort to find more holes to cram in dick and fart jokes.

The Blu-Ray comes with the same audio commentary from the DVD. But, there's none of the deleted or extended scenes. There's none of the usual View Askew thrills. Hell, they don't even bother to port over the Afroman music video. I still recommend the movie for a rental. But, if you're in the market for more Kevin Smith...just buy the recently released Kevin Smith Collection.

RELEASE DATE: 11/17/09