JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT
US, 2019, 105 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Harley Quinn Smith, Matt Damon, Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, Fred Armesen, Diedrich Bader, Melissa Benoist, Jason Biggs, Aparna Brielle, Adam Brody, Tommy Chong, Keith Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Michelle Edmund, Shannon Elizabeth, Dan Fogler, Chris Hemsworth, Val Kilmer, Justin Long, Joe Manganello, Craig Robinson, Stephen Root, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Molly Shannon, Method Man, James Van Der Beek, Alice Wen.
Directed by Kevin Smith.
Clerks, Mallrats – IN!
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back – INNER!
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot – INNEST!
Jay and Silent Bob have a history over 25 years, 1994-2019, a collaboration between Kevin Smith as writer, director, editor, starring as Silent Bob (and making some appearances, as here, as a rather loud Kevin Smith himself) and his slacker star, Jason Mewes.
If you don’t know anything about Jay and Silent Bob, there is no need to read any further – the screenplay and its shenanigans depend on how well you know them, like them, love them.
If you are a fan of Kevin Smith, know his range of films including Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jersey Girl and the more eccentric horror thrillers of more recent times, Yoga Hosiers, Tusk, then you are really IN. So, if you want to be up-to-date as Well Is have a recapitulation of Kevin Smith’s career, then you will respond to the invitation to watch the reboot. Actually, there is some discussion about the difference between a remake and a reboot – and whether there is something new and fresh about a remake or whether all the old gags get another chance at life, a reboot.
The present film is basically a reboot. Jay and Silent Bob are much the same as they always were, Jay loudmouthed, and foulmouthed, drugs, the kind of person you would want to meet only on screen and definitely not in real life! And, Silent Bob is much the same, miming, wide-eyed expressions, much more genial. And, somewhat lighter after Kevin Smith suffered a heart attack.
When they are busted for drugs, they are then banned from using their names, their lawyer having trapped them. They decide to go on a quest to Hollywood to stop any remakes and reboots. They stopover in Chicago and, this is where something new happens, Jay discovers that he has a daughter. In fact, much is made of this theme, Jay forbidden to tell Millennium Millie (played by Kevin Smith’s own daughter, Harley Quinn Smith) that he is her father. There are quite some shenanigans on the way to Hollywood, and they arrive to go to, not Comicon (where Smith always appears) but to Chronicom has made,.
The film gives an opportunity for Smith to reminisce about the various films that he is made (critical of Copout) and his favourite themes, especially of Star Wars and science-fiction. And there is opportunity for some of his friends and stars to explain themselves, Matt Damon about his angel Loki from Dogma, Ben Affleck to reminisce about Chasing Amy and Jersey Girl, an encounter with Jason Lee, with a panel of actors from Clerks.
And, finally much is made of the father and daughter theme. The final credits take us through most of the film again, a chance to see some of the many stars and friends with their cameos – and a final, amusing one, with the late Stan Lee.
A lot of discriminating fans have been very disappointed with this reboot, feeling that it went over old times too much, that many of the jokes were familiar, too familiar, that they wanted something new. Be that as it may, here are Jay and Silent Bob after 25 years.
