R, 1hr 45min,
Comedy
Playing in select theaters & available on DVD/Blu-Ray and all major Streaming Services
Full dIsclosure: I am a Kevin Smith fan. He hit at that perfect sweet spot for me in the mid 90’s when I was in High School and just beginning to expand my horizon in regards to cinema. A good friend I first met in Drama class – Brian Briggs – had me over to watch movies one New Years Eve and introduced me to Mr. Smith’s work, which at that time only consisted of “Clerks” (1994) and “Mallrats” (1995). Brian declared that whatever movie I chose would end up being my favorite between the two. I chose the later, only from the idiotic standpoint that it was in color (“Clerks” was shot in black and white) and maybe was a bit more broad, comedy wise.
For the record, like children I love them both equally.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Smith a few times the last 15+ years and he is pretty much how you would expect; Enthusiastic, funny, kind and full of stories. He knows what his fans like, who’s numbers are vast enough to sell out his live shows, keep his podcast network successful and keep him working and creative. I know he is appreciative for all of them. Make no mistake, this movie is a love letter to his fans and can be enjoyed by people unfamiliar with his other movies, but benefits those that have stuck with his material the most.
Even as a fan I have to admit, like all artists and filmmakers, Mr. Smith’s filmography has been hit or miss. For every “Clerks” and “Chasing Amy” (in my opinion his best work as a filmmaker) there is a “Tusk” (2014) and “Yoga Hosers” (2016). Then there are absolute gems that don’t get enough attention like 2006’s hysterical “Clerks II” (sadly dismissed for being a comedy sequel), and his one forte into the horror-genre, “Red State (2011),” which in my opinion is criminally underrated. It’s his characters “Jay and Silent Bob” he is most known for though, which grace the screen again for the first time in over a decade (at least live-action form) in this new movie as the titular characters return to Hollywood to stop a reboot of the ‘Bluntman and Chronic’ movie from getting made.
Even as a fan, I always felt “Jay and Bob” were more effective in smaller doses. Their appearances in Smith’s first few films were minimal, with the duo being peppered throughout the story like in “Clerks” and “Mallrats” or having one notable scene at the end of “Chasing Amy” (1997). It’s when they take center position in movies like 1999’s “Dogma” or 2001’s “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” (the precursor to this newest entry) that I sort of lose interest, so color me surprised when I liked this one a bit more than expected for one specific reason: even amongst the juvenile humor and broad comedy, this movie is loaded with heart.
The heart of the material starts with Smith, but not Kevin. The epicenter of this adventure is the filmmakers real-life daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, who has worked with her father a couple times the last few years but now takes center stage and infuses the well Kevin is fond of returning to with fresh water. She is smart, funny, intense and instantaneously makes the material better when she shows up on screen. Chip off the ‘ol block, Kev.
Harley Quinn (yes, named after the comic book character), also benefits the material in one other strong way: she significantly elevates the performance of “Jay” actor Jason Mewes. Long criticized for being a “one-note” actor (which I disagree with, for the record), the moment Ms. Smith and Mewes are allowed to flex emotionally are some of the best in the picture. Being such and important part of Smith’s life since she was born you’d assume this was the case, but chemistry on screen isn’t a given for people that have known each other for a long time. It absolutely is here. I hope Mewes is given meatier roles from now on, since I think he can definitely pull them off.
After an opening 30 minutes that see the filmmaker cringingly recycling some of the same jokes from his previous movies, Mr. Smith makes a refreshing move that not only saves this movie but is also in tune with the times: he casts a younger generation of diverse actresses around Harley Quinn who take over the majority of the second half and then smartly gets out of their way. This includes Aparna Brielle as Jihad, Alice Wen as Shan Yu and Treshelle Edmond as “Soap.” If Smith wants to continue this comedy universe he would be wise to fully hand the torch over to these funny and capable young women. The second half of the movie is much better than the first and it’s because of these ladies.
“Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” is not for everyone, but I found myself having some good laughs and enjoying the movie once it moved away from being tethered to his other films and started to tell its own story. If you like broad comedy and are a fan of Smith’s other film, grab a bucket of popcorn some chocolate covered pretzels and have a good time with this one.
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