Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

Streaming Service: Prime Video

Movie Name/Year: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)

Genre: Comedy

Length: 105 minutes

Rating: R

Production/Distribution: Destro Films, SModcast Pictures, Hideout Pictures, Intercut Capital, Mewesings, Miramax, Skit Bags Entertainment, View Askew Productions, Mongrel Media, Saban Films, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Nordic

Director: Kevin Smith

Writer: Kevin Smith

Actors: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Harley Quinn Smith, Alice Wen, Treshelle Edmond, Aparna Brielle, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Fred Armisen, Diedrich Bader, Johnny ‘Bananas’ Devenanzio, Melissa Benoist, Marc Bernardin, Jason Biggs, Jeff Chase, Ming Chen, Walter Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Mike Zapcic, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Ernest O’Donnell, Brian O’Halloran, Scott Schiaffo, John Willyung, Tommy Chong, Keith Coogan, Chelsey Cole, Eric Carrasco, David Dastmalchian, Rosario Dawson, Shannon Elizabeth, Nick Fellinger, Dan Fogler, Kevin Foster, Ralph Garman, Ben Gleib, Mickey Gooch Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Jericho, Val Kilmer, Robert Kirkman, Leah Knauer, Jason Lee, Justin Long, David Mandel, Joe Manganiello, Andrew McElfresh, Logan Mewes, Kate Micucci, Jordan Monsanto, Redman, Brian Quinn, Donnell Rawlings, Jesse Rath, Joseph D. Reitman, Jake Richardson, Craig Robinson, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Molly Shannon, Frankie Shaw, Method Man, Donald Smith, Grace Smith, James Van Der Beek, Chris Wood, Matt Damon

Blurb from IMDb: Jay and Silent Bob return to Hollywood to stop a reboot of the 'Bluntman and Chronic' movie from getting made.

Selina’s Point of View:

Before I start talking about this film, I need to remind you that I’m a die-hard Kevin Smith (Red State, Dogma, Clerks) fan. That said? I think this movie was specifically made for people who stan him just as much as I do.

Kevin Smith fans are like a group of friends. And, like a group of friends, there are a ton of in-jokes that circulate among us. Due to the fact that Smith is very connected to his fan-base, he either started, or is in on, every one of those jokes. He knows what lands and what to leave behind. He makes use of that knowledge in this movie.

I’ve heard some of my favorite reviewers going hard on the fact that a lot of this movie is about referencing his other works and focusing on those in-jokes. I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, as a fan, I appreciate it. Smith is a great example of how important it is to stay in touch with the people who love your work.

This flick was self-aware, it was ridiculous, and it was classic Kevin Smith.

I did see some of the points people had about the tonal shift involving the heavy moments… but even with that emotional whiplash, I still stayed invested. Not gonna lie, as a girl that grew up without a dad – I even related a little bit. Had a few teary moments.

I think that’s a credit to Jason Mewes (Madness in the Method, Shoot the Hero, Noobz) and Harley Quinn Smith (Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, All These Small Moments, Yoga Hosers). They made those emotional moments feel more down-to-earth than out-of-place. It easily could have felt strange, but it didn’t. I recognized those angry tears that Harley put out, which must have been very difficult for her to portray in a film this comedic.

I’m pleasantly surprised to see that Rotten Tomatoes has a fresh critic score for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Because this movie was so geared toward fans of Smith’s entire filmography, I thought they’d be harsher. I’m glad I was wrong.

I do, however, understand the critic score of 66% as compared to the fan score of 94%. As much comedy as there is here for a general audience, fans are going to get a TON more out of it than someone who isn’t up to date with Smith’s work.

Personally? I was laughing throughout the whole thing. There’s been a lot of death and hopelessness around me this past week and I was so happy to get to see a comedy like this that could pull so much laughter out of my stubbornly-depressed face.

If you’re a fan of Kevin Smith, I think you should definitely watch this movie. If you’re not, I think you should watch the rest of his stuff and then watch this one. And don’t skip stuff like Jersey Girl (2004), Tusk (2014), or Cop Out (2010). You need it for the in-jokes.

Also, I put it in the P.S. of this review, but I need to stress it here as well: stay for the mid- and after-credit scenes. They’re so worth it.

Cat’s Point of View:

I had really been looking forward to Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. Scratch that. My entire family and I were eagerly anticipating it. Needless to say, we were very happy to see its release to Amazon Prime Video.

The Jay and Silent Bob movies aren’t exactly ‘family movies,’ per se, but since my daughter’s closing in on 17, she’s watched all of these movies with us at this point – and even some of the animated series.

I’d have to say that this sequel was exactly what I was expecting, and that’s not a bad thing at all. It was a fun experience revisiting familiar characters and watching this new story unfold in an oh-so-familiar (yet decidedly different) way.

The cameos were enjoyable and well placed. There are also layers of Easter eggs for die-hard fans of the View Askewniverse.

I also love how the story shows growth for our titular characters.

For those that haven’t seen all of Kevin Smith’s movies featuring the Quick Stop loitering duo of Jay and Silent Bob, you’ll get more out of the movie if you watch Clerks (1994), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), and then Clerks II (2006). Without that background information, the movie would likely still be enjoyable but some of the scenarios may seem odd (more-so than usual) and some references will likely get lost in the shuffle.

If there’s anyone that stopped watching the blundering duo somewhere along the way without finishing the series, now is a great time to pick up where you left off or re-watch the franchise starting with Clerks. With the COVID-19 lockdown still in place, it’s a perfect time for a movie marathon!

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 66%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 94%

Metascore – 46/100

Metacritic User Score – 5.3/10

IMDB Score – 5.8/10

CinemaScore – None

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4.5/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

  

P.S. Mid-credits scene with a very unexpected cameo. VERY worth waiting for. Watch it. (There are also some scenes during the rest of the credits, also containing some unexpected cameos, also worth watching.)

P.S.2. There’s a final after-credits scene that caught me (Selina) so off-guard that I laughed until I couldn’t breathe.

Movie Trailer: