Jay, Silent Bob deliver big laughs
by Michael Kraft, entertainment editor

    Only once in a lifetime does a film come along that has the power to change ways of thinking, topple evil empires and make the world a better place for all mankind.

    Fortunately, the new film, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, is not one of those films.

    What this film does deliver are great laughs by the wheelbarrowful. The plot is thin and silly at times, but the adventure is colorful and the characters encountered are all unique.
    The film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, centers around two characters: Jay, played by Jason Mewes, and Silent Bob, played by Smith.

    It is the fifth and final entry in what started as the “Jersey Trilogy,” which includes Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma. Smith has said that he’s hanging up Jay and Silent Bob after this film.

    The film begins with Jay and Silent Bob hanging out outside the Quik-Stop and dealing drugs.

    After Dante and Randal (who work at the Quik-Stop and Video store, respectively) get a restraining order to keep them off the premises, the duo run into Brodie, who now runs a comic book store. Brodie tells them about a movie being made about their fictional likenesses: Bluntman and Chronic.

    They travel to see Holden McNeil, who shows them the Internet and how people are blasting them and the characters.

    Jay and Silent Bob take it as their sacred quest to travel to Hollywood and prevent the movie from being made so people will stop making fun of them.

    Along the way, they meet a huge cross section of characters. From a wise hitchhiker, played with deadpan hilarity by George Carlin, to clumsy law enforcement agents to stunningly beautiful jewel thieves, the breadth of archetypes is incredible.

    The problem comes from the film’s not being very accessible for those who are not a fan of Smith’s earlier films or haven’t seen them.

    Every single one of the characters in his older films has a part in this one, and a lot of the gags are missed if the viewer doesn’t know about the character’s past.

    Another large element of the humor is pop culture knowledge that the average person may or may not have.

    For example, after being thrown off a Greyhound bus for not having tickets, Jay exclaims, “Tickets, man that’s the stupidest thing since Greedo shot first,” a line only a huge Star Wars fan could love.

    Not all the jokes are intellectual and uppity though.

    Jay’s mouth is as filthy as ever, and some have called the movie, “one long homophobic rant.”

    This may be true, but the film has its sidesplitting moments.

    One scene with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck arguing on a movie set and slamming each other’s careers is among the funniest moments in the film.

    The climactic battle on the movie set recalls Star Wars’ battles of the past, blatantly ripping off camera angles and fight choreography, and Chris Rock’s prediction, “Man, George Lucas is gonna sue somebody!” may come true.

    With a great cast, including Shannon Elizabeth, Will Ferrell, Diedrich Bader, Rock and cameos by great actors and moviemakers such as Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Carlin, Wes Craven and Gus Van Zandt, this film is a worthy addition to the Jersey Trilogy.

    This film is a definite must-see for all those people who are Kevin Smith fans.

    If you aren’t familiar with his films, you must see the other films first: it’s not recommended; it’s required.