Writer-director Kevin Smith is simultaneously a creative force behind the camera (and silently—wink, wink—in front of it) and one of the medium’s most informed souls. When it comes to pop culture, the Clerks crafter knows his stuff … just watch him on IMDB on any number of informative videos that brilliantly showcase his cinematic astuteness. A couple of years removed from his so-called widow maker heart attack, the lucky to be alive filmmaker sought to revisit some old friends. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download.
Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) first caught our attention in the filmmaker’s auspicious debut, 1994’s Clerks. Since then, they have appeared throughout Smith’s filmmaking forays, even an animated venture, Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie!. For The Movie Mensch, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a personal fave, so one can imagine how excited things were around the office when it was announced that those groovy characters would be returning to the big screen in a “reboot” film.
Thing is, this is not a reboot of Jay and Silent Bob and their big screen narrative. The title of the film refers to the dynamic duo’s effort to get to Los Angeles and strike into the heart of Hollywood to do everything they can to stop their beloved “Bluntman and Chronic” from being rebooted by a Tinsel Town studio. Crushed by the lack of creativity by movie makers, Jay and Silent Bob decide to hit the road and do whatever they can to cease this movie madness. All of course, with the pair constantly accompanied by the largest cloud of marijuana smoke—one that could probably be seen from space! I kid, but you get the picture.
This latest appearance of Jay and Silent Bob has a laser specific audience and for that crowd, this latest flick from Smith is a true gift. If anyone out there is intrigued by the aging, but still a perfectly pertinent pair, then put Reboot on hold and go back to the beginning and soak in all the goofy glory that is the hush tones of Bob and the jamming Jay over a myriad of Smith flicks. For those of us who appreciate the entertainment value of the pair, this film is for you. It is enjoyable, often hilarious and most importantly, possesses a strong vibe of simultaneous nostalgia and fresh fun.
As the film commences, the tone is immediately forged and for those of you who are familiar with this titanic twosome, should not surprise. They are at an establishment entitled the Cock Smoker (hey! It’s a fried chicken restaurant, get your head out of the bong!) when someone walks up to this poultry palace, they are completely unaware that a SWAT brigade is at the ready to head into the establishment and arrest Jay and Silent Bob. They are working a marijuana cultivating business and it’s not exactly legal. They wind up in court
There are a number of maybe-maybe not intentional disconnects running throughout Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, and the first of them occurs almost immediately as a guy pulls up to a place called the Cock Smoker (putatively a fried chicken joint), evidently unaware that there is (as revealed by a whip pan) a rather large SWAT team already assembled there, poised to arrest Jay and Silent Bob for not so secretly running a marijuana grow operation. That of course lands the fellas in court, where they score an ingratiating attorney (Justin Long, the first of a long line of celebrity scores). This guy works the system and it works. They get off, but through some sort of far-fetched, but funny, series of events, the boys cannot use their names as they have just signed away the rights. That allows a little filmmaking outfit named Saban Films to proceed with that aforementioned Bluntman and Chronic.
I’m telling you, Smith has never crafted something so Meta in his career!
Long is joined in the Smith frequently used thespian ensemble by a who’s-who of talents who adore appearing in Smith’s flicks. There’s Jason Lee, Shannon Elizabeth, Joey Lauren Adams (Miss Chasing Amy herself!), Ben Affleck, Jason Biggs, Rosario Dawson (who rocked us in Clerks 2 and will reprise that role in the upcoming Clerks 3), Chris Hemsworth, Val Kilmer, Joe Manganiello, Craig Robinson, Molly Shannon, Smith’s daughter Harley Quinn Smith, Karrueche Tran, Fred Armisen, Tommy Chong, Matt Damon, Method Man, Redman and James Van Der Beek. Think actors adore Smith? Just a wee bit …
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot also finds the boys heading to the so-called Chronic Con, where a “real life” Kevin Smith will be hooking up fans with cameos in the rebooted Bluntman movie. Nothing is off the table for skewering in Smith’s latest endeavor. Not a bit of it will be teased here but be prepared for a varied myriad of targets for Smith’s sense of humor.
Smith is a fans’ filmmaker and as such, it should surprise nobody that his Blu-Ray bonus features are incredibly insightful. Most of all is Kevin & Jay Interview Cast and Crew. This is almost as entertaining as the entire movie! There is a clear combination of respect and enjoyment that each actor and crew member has for Smith (and Mewes, of course) and that comes through every single second of the 30-minute featurette. If that leaves you wanting more, and it will, dive next into Cast Interviews. That contains an entire hour of interviews that is fervently enlightening as it is entertaining. Especially at this point in all of the involved creative lives, that almost 60-minutes of chit chat about the world of Smith cinema is about as much of a gift from the filmmaker to his fans as one could organize.
There are almost 10 minutes worth of bloopers, which will make you LOL majorly and lastly, don’t miss the Hair Reel. That’s right, Smith has a Jay and Silent Bob Reboot Blu-Ray featurette of stars’ follicle getting film ready. Trust us, it’s fun—just like the movie itself.
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: B