Smith and Friends
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back!
Review by Ross Anthony

Perhaps Kevin Smith set out to make a bad movie, then accidentally created a pretty good one.

Jay and Silent Bob are two foul-mouthed, yet lovable dolts that have appeared in many, if not Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back!all (I haven't seen them all) Kevin Smith films. Finally, after paying they're dues as mere side characters ... they are the stars of their very own film.

We all knew somebody like Jay (Jason Mewes), back in high school. Long-haired, weed smoking/selling, uses the words "F*ck" and "Sh*t" as often as the common articles "the" and "a." Nor does he restrain himself from blurting out references to male or female genitalia in mixed company. This complete lack of a social verbal filter makes him oddly endearingly sincere.

Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) is Jay's polar opposite sidekick. Silently agreeing or disagreeing with the plethora of opinion and distaste clamoring out of Jay's jaws. This coupling drives the film. Ironically, every word out of Jay's mouth is written by Kevin Smith (Silent Bob). Off screen, Smith (brain sharply engaged) has even more to say (see interviews) than Jay (brainless) on screen.

Jay and Silent Bob learn that a movie is being made in Hollywood about two comicbook characters (Bluntman and Chronic) which were based on them. Once acclimated to the Internet, Jay and Bob read vile emails dissing their characters. Rather than sue the film for unauthorized likeness usage, they propose a plan to drive to Hollywood and stop the film from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back!being made so that they won't be dissed anymore on the net. Then, if time permits, beat up all those responsible for the flaming emails.

Odd, quirky, sometimes silly, detours comprise two-thirds of the film. Often, this can make the audience antsy "Get to Hollywood already!" But, Bob and Jay never cease to amuse. Even their Hollywood-based scenes continue to keep the ball rolling.

Rough in the start off, as the film itself says, "A poor Cheech and Chong rip off", the film eventually escalates to a full-fledged good movie complete with action, romance, drama, and all the cuss words you can stand. Despite, the occasional fourth wall break, where Jay and Bob stare right into the audience, "What kind of buttheads would pay money to see a movie about us?" the film is quite respectable in a disrespectable "South Park" kind of way.

Complete with a galaxy of star cameos, from Affleck to Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Smith-lovers will appreciate the return of many other Smith-film characters. But, even if you've never seen "Clerks," "Chasing Amy," "Mallrats," or "Dogma" I think you're in for a good time. Leave your thinking caps at home and just enjoy.

The performances vary from strong to silly, Will Ferrell absolutely rocks as the Barney Fife-like Wildlife Marshall, "Who let the cats out?"

Btw, Kevin tells us that Alanis will give the film a bit of a PS if you can hang through the ending credits.



  • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back!. Copyright © 2001. Rated R.
  • Starring Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Shannon Elizabeth, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jeff Anderson, Diedrich Bader, Eliza Dushku, Will Ferrell, Mark Hamill, Ali Larter, Jason Lee, Brian Christopher O'Halloran, Chris Rock, Sean William Scott, Jules Asner, Marc Blucas, George Carlin, Shannen Doherty, Carrie Fisher, Jamie Kennedy, Steve Kmetko, Tracy Morgan, Judd Nelson, Jennifer Schwalbach, Jon Stewart.
  • Written by and directed by Kevin Smith.
  • Produced by Scott Mosier at View Askew/Dimension/Miramax.



Grade..........................A-


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Thursday, 21-Oct-2010 16:28:11 PDT