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Acting
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Directing
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Story
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Harley Quinn Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Running Time: 105 mins
Jay And Silent Bob Reboot is an American film and a reboot (not a remake!) of Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. Hearing that Kevin Smith is making a Bluntman and Chronic reboot, Jay And Silent Bob travel across the country to get to Hollywood to stop him.
It’s not often that I call a foul-mouthed stoner buddy comedy “really sweet”. But the fact of the matter is, Jay And Silent Bob Reboot, for all its brilliant cynicism about the world that it takes place in, is at heart a really sweet movie, with honest comedy, passionate pop culture references, moments of genuine emotion, and a tight-knit cast that are an absolute joy to watch on screen.
Now, the big joke about this movie is that it’s the exact same movie as Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. Deliberately. And, as various characters point out time and time again in the film, that’s pretty on the money.
But that’s the biggest part of what makes Jay And Silent Bob Reboot so much fun to watch. The meta-humour is at times deliriously confusing, setting up hilarious gags, after which the characters turn around and look at you in pity for laughing at something that’s already been done before.
It’s a great bit of satire on the movie industry, with countless nods not only to Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, but also more View Askewniverse films like Chasing Amy, Dogma and Clerks, as well as infinite amount of wider pop culture references that are an absolute joy if you’re in the know.
All of that makes Jay And Silent Bob Reboot a really fun watch throughout, and, as much as it likes to poke fun at itself for being a lazy rehash of its own predecessor, is actually really different because of exactly that.
Again, the wires between what’s actually story here and what’s meta-humour and what’s flat-out satire get crossed within seconds of the movie starting, but it’s good to just sit back and let it happen. Because as crazy as it all seems, director Kevin Smith and everybody else involved know exactly what they’re doing.
And that’s the other thing that’s so striking about this movie. It’s not a lazy rehash of its predecessor. Well, it is, but it isn’t, and the main reason for that is just how sweet it is.
Much of the story’s second half follows Jay and Silent Bob making their way to Hollywood alongside Jay’s estranged daughter with Shannon Elizabeth from Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. That in itself is a story full of heart, and shows the fact that – as impossible as it may seem – Jay and Silent Bob have indeed matured over the years, albeit more so behind the camera than in front of it.
But it’s the longevity of the dynamic duo’s friendship that’s the sweetest part of all. Through thick and thin, or whatever they’ve been up to for the last few years, Jay and Silent Bob are still just as great together as ever, and so are Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, whose performances are far from lazy phone-ins, but full of passion and self-aware satire for the characters they’ve played for so long.
If you’ve never seen previous View Askewniverse films, I’d recommend you go and give them a watch before getting into Jay And Silent Bob Reboot. There’s a big bunch of them, but it’ll be worth your while to then come back and enjoy all of the sweet nostalgia and fantastic meta-humour that makes this movie so great. So, that’s why I’m giving Jay And Silent Bob Reboot a 7.5 overall.
