I have always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for the characters of Jay and Silent Bob. Perhaps it is due to the ease the characters fit into silly movies (such as “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”) or films with a more adult flair (their appearance in “Chasing Amy” remains a standout). Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes have such a natural chemistry that their friendship almost transcends their films. Smith and Mewes are the definition of ‘friendship goals’. Naturally when I heard that Kevin Smith was making a new film featuring the characters, “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot”, I marked it down as a must see.
The film plays as a sort of sequel to every film set in Kevin Smith’s View Askew universe but ties most directly to “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”. The movie starts with Jay and Silent Bob learning that a studio is planning to make a reboot of the Bluntman and Chronic characters that were based off of the pair and that the studio now considers their actual names (Jay and Silent Bob) part of their intellectual property as well. Once again, the pair set off to stop a Bluntman and Chronic movie from being made in a cross country adventure which unites the pair with a slew of familiar faces as well as some surprising new additions to the View Askew canon.
Jay and Silent Bob have become unlikely pop culture icons over the years despite most of Kevin Smith’s film being modest box office successes at best. Smith’s fans are a very dedicated group and I count myself among them. Jay and Silent Bob have become a new generation’s Cheech and Chong which is quite the torch to carry. Perhaps it seemed like a bit of a no brainer for Smith to fill this film with none stop fan service. Unfortunately, it’s this same fan service which hinders this film slightly. While I very much enjoyed catching up with familiar characters, I feel like more fun could have been had with the satirical reboot concept.
While one can complain that too much of the humor of this film was recycled, I do feel like Kevin Smith often isn’t given enough credit for his character development and that strength continues with this film as well. Perhaps it is due to his personal relationship with the characters, but Smith manages to progress his character’s lives as a reflection of his own and that helps make his films (including this one) more compelling.
Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith headline the film, naturally, as Jay and Silent Bob and the pair continue to play well off each other. I do feel like perhaps the weight of a whole movie might be a bit much for Jason Mewes, but he doesn’t sink the movie either. Joining the pair is Kevin Smith’s real life daughter Harley Quinn Smith playing Jay’s previously unknown of daughter. Harley Quinn Smith does a solid job in the film and I am excited to see what the future has in store for her.
The rest of the cast is primarily filled with cameos, some being more impactful than others. Due to the huge cast last, I will only cover the few cameos that I feel deserve a special mention. The best cameo comes from Ben Affleck and his cameo mirrors his real life relationship with Kevin Smith as well as providing some closure to the film “Chasing Amy”. Affleck and Smith were once good friends and frequent collaborators but had a falling out years ago. The pair reconnected after Smith nearly died of a heart attack and the sense of lost time can be felt heavily in this scene. Jason Lee has a solid cameo that helps expand his “Mallrats” character some. Matt Damon returns as Loki from “Dogma” for a brief appearance which helps wraps up “Dogma” and is one of the funniest moments of the film. Chris Hemsworth has a pretty hilarious cameo. Screen legend Val Kilmer appears as Bluntman, making him the second ex-Batman to feature in this movie. Ex-WWE superstar and current AEW Champion Chris Jericho has a fairly surprising appearance in the movie. Lastly, though the film was ultimately filmed after his passing, footage of Stan Lee looking over part of what would have been his role at San Diego Comic Con played during the credits, drawing a tear from every comic book fan’s eyes.
“Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” actually had a fairly successful non traditional theatrical run which just wrapped up this week (on Kevin Smith’s birthday I believe). The film never opened wide, instead Kevin Smith took the film on a literal road show which I actually find very charming. Smith and Mewes were both personally at every tour location, providing his fanbase a unique experience to enjoy along with the film.
While I felt like the film fell short of some of it’s comedic potential and should have focused less on fan service and more on a new adventure, I do admire Kevin Smith at the same time for his relationship to his fans. Smith legitimately could care less about the critical reception his film’s receive as long as his fans enjoy it. That is a very admirable trait for a filmmaker these days. “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” won’t change the ways films are made, but it will provide enough laughs to satisfy it’s fanbase.
Grade: B
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