Geez Mr. Kevin Smith, captain of New Jersey dick and fart jokes, why return to such puerile, infantile material? What happened to the dramatic horror effect of "Red State" or the sickening ugliness of "Tusk"? (Eh, don't wish to discuss that one again) What happened to the unfunny cop movie homage of "Cop Out"? Nah, don't answer that one either. Thank you is all I can say. I am a fan of the View Askewuniverse (or is it View Askew Verse?) and any New Jersey material mined around the edges of a town like Leonardo where the Quik Stop exists makes me deliriously happy. The last time we saw the stoners Jay and Silent Bob was in "Clerks II," which was a super good sequel. Now my little pot-smoking waifs, we got "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot" which is exactly what you might expect and then some.
Jason Mewes as the somewhat moronic Jay who loves doobies is back along with his heterosexual mate, Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) who never says a word and texts how he feels via emoticons. Some of that humor can go a long way. Also, I must report Mr. Smith that the opening scenes of this movie fell flat and were troublingly unfunny, like freakin' "Mallrats" unfunny (Dude, or Your New Jersey Highness of the View Askew Order, did you really consider making a "Mallrats 2"?) Justin Long is a pop-cultured, prosecutor and defending lawyer of J & S and Craig Robinson is a judge, well versed in Mighty Morphins trivia, and I was ready to say this movie was going to fall flat on its face. Little did I know that Mr. Smith had some snoogans in order, that is, he got me involved in a recycled plot from "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" where they try to stop a reboot of a "Bluntman and Chronic" movie called "Bluntman V. Chronic" only it is TV's "Supergirl" herself, Melissa Benoist, playing Chronic! Along their merry Mary Jane way with three saved potent pot cigs, Jay meets up again with Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), the giggly girl from the C.L.I.T animal activist group. It turns out Jay has a daughter played with electric energy by Hayley Quinn Smith (Kevin Smith's actual daughter). Anyway, the only way to stop this movie from being made is to go to Hollywood, and Jay's daughter also has some plans to head there as well.
Some gags really made me laugh, especially the whole comic-con version in the latter half (including an appearance by the real Kevin Smith playing himself who makes fun of himself). Included in the comic-con footage are terrific cameos by Val Kilmer as Bluntman and of course the aforementioned Melissa Benoist in a trailer for this fictional comic book movie. It is also fun to see Ben Affleck back as Holden McNeil and Joey Lauren Adams as Amy, from "Chasing Amy" of course and the "Strikes Back" movie. I also found the Matt Damon cameo hysterical, playing that murderous angel from "Dogma." I could have lived without returnee Jason Lee as the irritating Brodie - something about that character sticks in my craw. A brief sequence involving a pedophile in a van just rang as tasteless and the "How High" pot-filled dream homage will make sense to only those that remember that movie.
Jason Mewes, though, is the real star of the movie and just his ability to sniff out trouble in the winds or how he misinterprets everything as either sexual or otherwise makes me laugh. Kevin Smith can grate one's nerves as Silent Bob, though he does a fantastic homage to "Glengarry Glen Ross" during a KKK rally! Adding to valuable support to an increasingly silly universe is the incredible Harley Quinn Smith who brings the occasional Smith brand of genuine heart and soul. She's funny, smart and independent and slowly forms a strong bond with her stoner dad. I was incredibly moved by her in a movie that is meant to be raunchy with dick and fart jokes, or mostly dick jokes. Thank you Mr. Smith.
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