Movie Review by EDF
Starring: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Shannon Elizabeth, Ben Affleck, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter
Director: Kevin Smith
It had to come to an end sometime. The final story from the New Jersey Chronicles puts that whole universe to rest in the company of Jay and Silent Bob. Who? In case you haven’t left your house in the last seven years and not caught any of Kevin Smith’s other movies, here is a quick recap.
In 1994, Kevin Smith shot a low budget movie called CLERKS that followed a day in the life of Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), two employees of a local corner shop. Selling weed outside the store are two stoners, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Their next appearance was in MALLRATS where they helped Broudie (Jason Lee) get back with his girlfriend. In CHASING AMY, a love story of sorts, followed Holden (Ben Affleck) and Banky (Jason Lee, again) who produce the comic strip Bluntman & Chronic, based on the likeness of Jay and Silent Bob. The artists break up when Holden gets involved with Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) who turns out to be more than she seems. Next up in DOGMA we find Jay and Silent Bob helping out in the quest to find God (Alanis Morissette). Which brings us up to date.
Finding out that the Bluntman & Chronic comic is going to be made into a big budget Hollywood movie, Jay and Silent Bob track down Holden looking for their royalty back payment and cut from the movie. Holden informs them that he had sold his share of the rights to Banky a while back and that the movie is ready to shoot in three days. Without wasting any time, the pair set off for Hollywood as fast as they can, by hitchhiking. Walking for hours, they get a lift from the cast of Scooby Doo. Finding the gang are a bit uptight, Jay and Silent Bob light up some, only to later on, find that they’ve been dumped during their trip.
While ordering some fast food, Jay lays his eyes on Justice (Shannon Elizabeth) and immediately falls for her. She is travelling with her three friends Sissy (Eliza Dushku), Chrissy (Ali Larter) and Missy (Jennifer Schwalbach) and the guitar strumming geek Brent (Seann William Scott). They are on their way to save abused animals from a laboratory, or so it seems.
The great thing about the characters of Jay and Silent Bob is that no matter how shocking the things that comes out of foul mouth Jay, this is well balanced with the jokes that follow. Smith has pushed the limit here with how tasteful or tasteless the situations are that the pair find themselves in. And yes there are some fart jokes as well. Fans of the previous four movies will notice a lot of View Askew (Smith’s production company) in jokes that are mostly visual in the background.
Smith also takes a swipe at Hollywood in the best possible way. Witness his spoofs of movies such as CHARLIE’S ANGELS, PLANET OF THE APES, STAR WARS and his hilarious take of the sequel to GOOD WILL HUNTING 2 – HUNTING SEASON. Saving the best till last is the ‘movie set’ sequence that is reminiscent of BLAZING SADDLES.
Some of the humour is crude, some of it is hilarious and there are some jokes that miss the mark. As a finale, Jay and Silent Bob couldn’t ask for a better sending off. Must be why God closes the book at the very end of the movie. Snoogans!!!
