I've been a Kevin Smith fan from way back, which is kind of unusual since I'm not really a fan of dick and fart jokes. For me, the main attraction is his movies' dialogue, his sparkling rapier wit. For example, Smith's debut, Clerks (which sometimes feels like a 24 hour Andy Warhol film written by David Mamet and shot on a surveillance video camera), is not only an exercise in a great script overcoming everything else (uneven acting, static cinematography), but is also an example of dialogue overcoming plot (or lack thereof) within said screenplay. Really, the only movie where characters talk more and do less is My Dinner With Andre. His dick and fart jokes (of which his films aren't really as replete or dependent upon as he implies) are always the most excruciating moments for me. And those moments are far more frequent and noticeable in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. The scene with the soda cup and the fart-activated alarm particularly made me cringe in this flick.

All of Kevin Smith's other films (Mallrats, Dogma, Chasing Amy) have succeeded to varying degrees over their respective drawbacks for the same reason -- interesting characters spouting memorable lines. Now Smith presents his entry in the Dude, Where's My Car? genre. How will this film appeal to those who are also tempted by Bubble Boy and Rat Race is hard for me to say, as I'm not really in touch with that demographic. The real audience is the hard-core View Askew-ers who've taken to quoting those memorable lines ad nauseaum and figuring out how all these interesting characters are related throughout the previous movies. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back is Kevin Smith's valentine to his fans. Smith says that this is going to be his last film in the Askewniverse, but Smith says a lot of things. His fans are still waiting for the promised Fletch Won, Superman Lives, and Clerks 2.

So as one of Kevin's hard-core followers and his intended demographic, how well did the movie work on me? While I may not go in for the dick and fart joke, I am a sucker for the inside joke, the kind of wink-wink that makes me feel smart and in the know. At least three times in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back do all the characters turn to the camera to indicate that the punchline is "this movie you're watching right now". These inside jokes are an odd combination of sly, smart wit for those who are paying attention surrounded by cheap, dumb laughs for the masses. Anytime Will Ferrell or Dietrich Bader was on screen, I hung my head in shame. It felt a little like The Simpsons, only I watch The Simpsons at home I don't have to listen to the large laughs when Homer falls down, which helps.

Actually, what it really reminded me of is one of the early Muppet movies (anything done after Jim Henson's death just plain sucks). As many characters as possible are trotted out on-screen regardless of how necessary they are to the "plot" (such as it is), with all the other roles filled with an A-to-Z list of celebrity cameos. In fact, what little plot there is, is almost taken directly from the best two movies -- the road trip to Hollywood from The Muppet Movie, and the diamond heist from The Great Muppet Caper.

Of course, the movie also has a monkey, which is usually not a good sign (anyone rented Dunston Checks In lately?) But Tango turns in a rich, understated performance as Suzanne the orangutan, by simply not really being in that much of the film.

Overall, I really enjoyed the flick. Whether or not you will to depends on how you felt (or if you've even seen) the rest of the Smith oeuvre. Or maybe it doesn't. You'll just enjoy it on a whole different level for completely different reasons. The real question is where will Kevin go from here? Apparently phasing his old characters out slowly (as it looked like he was trying to do in Chasing Amy) won't work for him. Apparently, he's decided to make a clean break. Sometimes the riskiest move produces the most ambitious work.

~ Scot Livingston