Review: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Starring Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Harley Quinn Smith,
Aparna Brielle, Shannon Elizabeth, Alice Wen, Justin Long, Fred Armisen, Val
Kilmer, Matt Damon, Chris Jericho, Rosario Dawson, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Fred
Armisten, Melissa Benoist
Directed by Kevin Smith
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is something of a paradoxical
movie, managing to be a biting and clever indictment of Hollywood’s lack of
creativity and yet a (conscious) retread of films released twenty years ago.
With the Weinstein scandal (and filmmaker Kevin Smith distancing himself from
his erstwhile production company), the film also had a puzzling distribution, with
Saban showing the film as part of a road show (and effectively giving Australia
one night only to show it in theatres).
The film catches up with Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), who
begin a new road trip from their native New Jersey to Hollywood. Fresh off
losing the legal rights to their own names to a Hollywood studio making a new
reboot of the film about their lives, the duo aims to prevent the film from
being made. Along the way, Jay reunites with his old flame Justice (Shannon Elizabeth)
who informs him that he is a father. Swearing to never tell his daughter Millennium
Falcon (Harley Quinn Smith), Jay must bring her and her diverse gang of friends
along on the road trip, as they plan on becoming featured extras on the very same
film that Jay and Silent Bob aim to disrupt.
Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot is Kevin Smith at his fourth wall breaking, self-indulgent
self. If Smith’s films don’t appeal to you, this won’t be the film to convince
you (some of the dialogue and content is so inappropriate that Insights
won’t display the trailer in our review). The script is far from Smith’s best, with
the dialogue standing out as having lines that would benefit from being cut. The
film is also a deliberate retread of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and
viewers’ mileage may vary according to how much they enjoyed that film.
And yet, to dismiss Jay and Silent Bob Reboot as only being a retread of
Kevin Smith’s films is reductive, and the film has some remarkably poignant
things to say about becoming a parent. Jay’s revelation, and the commentary from
those around him, are worth watching for new parents, and give the film added
gravitas.
The sheer number of cameos from Smith’s prior films also makes Jay and Silent Bob Reboot stand out. From Matt Damon to the entire cast of Smith’s breakout film Clerks to Chris Jericho, these short appearances carry certain parts of the script.
Particularly inspired is a cameo from Ben Affleck, who is on the way back into Hollywood (and his friendship with Kevin Smith) after combatting alcoholism. The moment is poignant for many reasons.
One person who could not be in the film, but makes his presence felt, is the late great Stan Lee who passed away before production began. Those who can wait until the credits roll can see a moving tribute to Lee, along with a whole host of other mid credits material.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot releases on Blu Ray and DVD on Wednesday, 6 May.
