‘Jay & Silent Bob Reboot’ (2019)
View Askew Productions & Miramax Films
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Written by: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Harley Quinn Smith, Shannon Elizabeth, Aparna Brielle, Treshelle Edmond, Alice Wen, Jason Lee, Rosario Dawson & Craig Robinson
What is the difference between a reboot, a remake, a re-imagining, etc? Have no fear – ‘Jay & Silent Bob Reboot‘ will explain it all to you while also adding in equal parts heart, humor & nostalgia. After Jay & Silent Bob are duped into relinquishing the use of their names by Saban Films, the duo must once again make their way to Hollywood in order to stop a reboot of ‘Bluntman & Chronic’ from being made. If the plot sounds familiar, that’s because it is almost exactly the same plot as ‘Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back’ (hence the whole “Reboot” joke). Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith once again reprise the roles of the titular characters and the rest of the cast is filled out by a bevy of faces that will be familiar to anyone who is a fan of the View Askewniverse movies along with actors from other pop culture favorite shows & films from Fred Armisen and Melissa Benoist to Val Kilmer and Chris Hemsworth. It’s evident that Smith left nothing out when it comes to fan service in this remake, I mean… reboot.
The first third of the movie was a little slow and had a few cringe-worthy moments as well. After this, the film seems to course correct and take a massive upswing delivering not only a great deal of heart and comedy, but a solid self-awareness as it pokes fun of itself and at writer / director Kevin Smith as well. Many of the funny moments are inside jokes for those familiar with other Kevin Smith films, so I would advise the casual movie goer to at least see ‘Clerks‘, ‘Dogma‘ & ‘Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back‘ in order to not be completely lost when seeing this latest installment. (I’d recommend that anyone and everyone should see ‘Dogma‘ anyway, but that’s a topic for another post.) As the credits began and we got to see B-roll and outtakes, I looked around and saw many people smiling and laughing about the film experience in which they had just engaged and it did seem that a good time was had by all. I personally enjoyed the film as well aside from the one or two problems I mentioned earlier. However, I didn’t go away feeling that this was Smith’s magnum opus. It felt very solid and certainly delivered on its promises of what was offered. Arguably this is the very best at which we’ve ever seen Jason Mewes acting wise in these films. For me, his performance stole the show and if we never got another Jay & Silent Bob film again then I do feel that they went out on a high note. That being said, I worry that the slow beginning and the vast array of inside jokes may make this a film that will not be highly regarded by the average cinephile. On a scale of 1 – 10, I’d have to say that ‘Jay & Silent Bob Reboot’ only serves up a light buzz of a 7 for me. Tickets are on sale now at a theater near you. Snoochie Boochies!!
