Review: 'Jay And Silent Bob' Refreshing, Yet Offends
Fine Line Of Satire Becomes Blurred At Times
'Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back' (R)
There's no question that at times the comedy "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is a real scream. It's brutally funny in the unrelenting way it thumbs its nose at everybody, including the film's distributor Miramax, and even themselves.
But then again, there are times when the film should have taken cue from its title and just kept "Silent." You're always walking a fine line when you're delivering satire, and "Jay and Silent Bob" steps over it, whether it intended to or not. In one way, the film is so utterly refreshing, but in another, it is dangerously close to being outright abusive.
The film is what writer-director Kevin Smith calls the final chapter of his "New Jersey Chronicles." Starring Smith as Silent Bob and Jason Mewes as Jay, the hapless slackers have intermittently shown up in all five of the filmmaker's movies -- "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and finally, a film that bears their names.
In fact, what makes "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" fun for fans of the films is that several of the major characters from the four previous films show up for one reason or another, sometimes playing their characters, sometimes not.
The film starts by going back to the humble beginnings of the duo, who meet as toddlers outside the store featured in "Clerks." Before too long, the stroller-bound kids are mumbling the "f-word" to one another, and you soon realize that nothing, much like in the previous films, shall remain sacred.
After a quick cut to the grown-up version of Jay and Silent Bob, the duo soon discovers from their friend Brody (Jason Lee, who played the comic book artist in "Chasing Amy") that a film version of the comic based on their lives, "Bluntman & Chronic," is being made into a film in Hollywood. Wanting the profits, the stoner buds head off on adventure-filled road trip to the West Coast to stake their claim and trash the movie in the process.
Of course, the main objective for Smith in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is to entertain, and there's no question he has a fine handle on satire. The theme is the polar opposite of the serious stance he took on religion in "Dogma," but like that film, he isn't afraid of potentially offending people. He's never been known in his career for being afraid of taking anybody or any issue to task -- and sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses.
In the case of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," there's no question that homophobia dominates the proceedings. There are gay jokes abound, although none seem to be generated out of hate or are stated as negative slurs.
And while Smith's intentions are satirical -- he's really poking fun at Jay and Silent Bob's ignorance about homosexuality -- the audience reaction to the gay jokes at my screening made me wonder whether he's his point about ignorance is clear enough.
It's too bad, because Smith is certainly not one for promoting intolerance -- if you don't believe that, see "Chasing Amy." Still, in a haphazard sort of way, this film says that it's OK to insult gay people -- and it simply is not.
While the film will clearly step out over the line for some people, there is no doubt that parts of "Jay and Silent Bob" are as good as it gets when it comes to satire.
In particular, Smith film veterans Ben Affleck (who also plays his "Chasing Amy" character Holden) and Matt Damon hilariously send up their characters from "Good Will Hunting," as Jay and Silent Bob happen upon the filming of the movie's sequel in Hollywood. The scene is made complete by the appearance of "Hunting" director Gus Van Sant, who is clearly doing the sequel for the money. It's one of the film's many great cameos.
The film features razor-sharp performances by Smith and Mewes, naturally, as well several other "New Jersey" film veterans, most notably Jason Lee and Chris Rock. It's great to see Rock go off on his trademark tirades when he has a smart script on his side. Oddly enough, he plays a film director, and is clearly in charge. Scenes like Rock's help elevate the weaker parts of the film, including an overly-long juvenile scene that jokes about a certain private area of the female anatomy.
Faults and fantastic moments aside, what makes "Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back" a worthwhile movie is the appearance of Mark Hamill as a comic book villain in the "Bluntman & Chronic" movie.
Anybody who knows Smith's movies knows that he's a "Star Wars" aficionado and references to the original sci-fi trilogy are peppered throughout his own films. It's a fitting tribute to have Hamill appear in this film, only to have the former Jedi master, you got it, poke fun at "Star Wars." It's still a scream, though, even for a true "Star Wars" fan.
Perhaps Smith's boldest move regarding "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is the way it strikes back at the empire known as Hollywood. It's refreshing to see him bite off and skewer the hand that feeds him, and his anti-establishment characters are truly fitting for the cause.
Of course, now that his "New Jersey Chronicles" have come to a close, it will be interesting to see how the town embraces this rebel filmmaker regarding other projects. No matter how they treat him, at least he's already had his chance to "Strike Back."
And, he packs a wicked punch. Like it or not, get ready to get slammed again.
There's no question that at times the comedy "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is a real scream. It's brutally funny in the unrelenting way it thumbs its nose at everybody, including the film's distributor Miramax, and even themselves.
But then again, there are times when the film should have taken cue from its title and just kept "Silent." You're always walking a fine line when you're delivering satire, and "Jay and Silent Bob" steps over it, whether it intended to or not. In one way, the film is so utterly refreshing, but in another, it is dangerously close to being outright abusive.
The film is what writer-director Kevin Smith calls the final chapter of his "New Jersey Chronicles." Starring Smith as Silent Bob and Jason Mewes as Jay, the hapless slackers have intermittently shown up in all five of the filmmaker's movies -- "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma" and finally, a film that bears their names.
In fact, what makes "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" fun for fans of the films is that several of the major characters from the four previous films show up for one reason or another, sometimes playing their characters, sometimes not.
The film starts by going back to the humble beginnings of the duo, who meet as toddlers outside the store featured in "Clerks." Before too long, the stroller-bound kids are mumbling the "f-word" to one another, and you soon realize that nothing, much like in the previous films, shall remain sacred.
After a quick cut to the grown-up version of Jay and Silent Bob, the duo soon discovers from their friend Brody (Jason Lee, who played the comic book artist in "Chasing Amy") that a film version of the comic based on their lives, "Bluntman & Chronic," is being made into a film in Hollywood. Wanting the profits, the stoner buds head off on adventure-filled road trip to the West Coast to stake their claim and trash the movie in the process.
Of course, the main objective for Smith in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is to entertain, and there's no question he has a fine handle on satire. The theme is the polar opposite of the serious stance he took on religion in "Dogma," but like that film, he isn't afraid of potentially offending people. He's never been known in his career for being afraid of taking anybody or any issue to task -- and sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses.
In the case of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," there's no question that homophobia dominates the proceedings. There are gay jokes abound, although none seem to be generated out of hate or are stated as negative slurs.
And while Smith's intentions are satirical -- he's really poking fun at Jay and Silent Bob's ignorance about homosexuality -- the audience reaction to the gay jokes at my screening made me wonder whether he's his point about ignorance is clear enough.
It's too bad, because Smith is certainly not one for promoting intolerance -- if you don't believe that, see "Chasing Amy." Still, in a haphazard sort of way, this film says that it's OK to insult gay people -- and it simply is not.
While the film will clearly step out over the line for some people, there is no doubt that parts of "Jay and Silent Bob" are as good as it gets when it comes to satire.
In particular, Smith film veterans Ben Affleck (who also plays his "Chasing Amy" character Holden) and Matt Damon hilariously send up their characters from "Good Will Hunting," as Jay and Silent Bob happen upon the filming of the movie's sequel in Hollywood. The scene is made complete by the appearance of "Hunting" director Gus Van Sant, who is clearly doing the sequel for the money. It's one of the film's many great cameos.
The film features razor-sharp performances by Smith and Mewes, naturally, as well several other "New Jersey" film veterans, most notably Jason Lee and Chris Rock. It's great to see Rock go off on his trademark tirades when he has a smart script on his side. Oddly enough, he plays a film director, and is clearly in charge. Scenes like Rock's help elevate the weaker parts of the film, including an overly-long juvenile scene that jokes about a certain private area of the female anatomy.
Faults and fantastic moments aside, what makes "Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back" a worthwhile movie is the appearance of Mark Hamill as a comic book villain in the "Bluntman & Chronic" movie.
Anybody who knows Smith's movies knows that he's a "Star Wars" aficionado and references to the original sci-fi trilogy are peppered throughout his own films. It's a fitting tribute to have Hamill appear in this film, only to have the former Jedi master, you got it, poke fun at "Star Wars." It's still a scream, though, even for a true "Star Wars" fan.
Perhaps Smith's boldest move regarding "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is the way it strikes back at the empire known as Hollywood. It's refreshing to see him bite off and skewer the hand that feeds him, and his anti-establishment characters are truly fitting for the cause.
Of course, now that his "New Jersey Chronicles" have come to a close, it will be interesting to see how the town embraces this rebel filmmaker regarding other projects. No matter how they treat him, at least he's already had his chance to "Strike Back."
And, he packs a wicked punch. Like it or not, get ready to get slammed again.
