Posted by Jennifer_ann_7 at 1cust72.tnt40.tco2.da.uu.net on August 30, 2001 at 13:57:21:
Chris Terry
The Towerlight
Seven years, five movies, dozens of hilarious cameos and countless curse words later, director Kevin Smith's infamous New Jersey chronicles have finally come to a close -- so he claims -- with the last installment of the dynamic duo oc stoners, Jay and Silent Bob.
Complete with Smith's largest collection of cameos yet, and an ageless performance by the relentlessly vulgar, and equally hilarious, Jersey sotners (Jason Mewes as Jay and Kevin Smith as Silent Bob). "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" will make diehard Smith fans, and anyone who appreciates a good fart joke, glad he didn't call it quits after "Dogma."
Smith may still be a lifetime away from an Oscar, but "Jay and Silent Bob" has a rare duality to it that -- besides "Dogma" -- hasn't been accomplished in a long time. In the film, Jay and Silent Bob do to Hollywood what George W. Bush claimed he would do to Washington -- become the "outsider" that turns everything completely around, and kick a little ass in the process.
Smith's humor hasn't changed since 1994 -- when the crude convenience store comedy "Clerks" became an underground hit -- but his mainstream appeal has steadily grown, allowing Smith to convince audiences that the lowest common denominator is often the funniest.
Even with some mainstream appeal, "Jay and Silent Bob" is not for the faint of heart. The film certainly earns its "R" rating, not for raunchy visual gags ala "American Pie," but simply for Jayu's ability to make the "F" word and oral sex references grammatical necessitites.
In other words, audiences who don't find it offensive should find it hilarious. Mewes is at his best in "Jay and Silent Bob," but Smith made sure to give himself a few scene-stealing moments when Silent Bob actually decides to speak up.
Jay and Silent Bob groupies will be happy to see the return performances from Sm,ith regulars like Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Lee, and even "Clerks" stars Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson.
The biggest laughs, however, come courtesy of Will Ferrell, who plays Federal Wildlife Marshall Wilenhooly, a disoriented and disgruntled cop out to bring Jay and Silent Bob to justice. Ferrell's performance is no less rediculous, or hilarious, than his stint playing Mustafa in the "Austin Powers" movies.
But aside from organizing a stellar main cast, Smith might as well call himself the king of cameos. Everyone from comedians like Chris Rock, George Carlin and Tracy Morgan to teen idol James Van Der Beek and "American Pie" stars Jason Biggs and Sean William Scott find their way into the movie. The only complaint may be that we don't see enough of them.
But Smith's craftiest and funniest cameos of all come from "Star Wars" stars Carrie Fisher, who plays a kind-hearted nun and Mark Hamill who puts all shame aside and plays Cock-Knocker, the devious archenemy of Jay and Bob's comic book egos, Bluntmand and Chronic.
Smith also made sure to include a compltet cast of voluptuous vixens that includes Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, and his wife, Jennifer Schwalbach, as Sissy Chrissy and Missy, seductive jewel thieves who attempt to frame Jay and Silent Bob for their dirty work.
But for those Smith fans sho have almost as much pent up sexual energy as Jay, Shannon Elizabeth will be the highlight of the film. Playing Justice, the jewel thief with a heart of gold, Elizabeth is not at all believable as Jay's love interest, but most Smith fans won't care.
The film's only true disappointment is the climax, which deson't really seem to exist. The movie's "big fight scene" features one of the best cameos, but little more. During the last few miutes of the film, Smith stumbles through a set of scenes that bring the film, and his "Jersey Chronicles" to a close, but it leaves the audience sitting through the credits hoping tha there's something else.
Nonetheless, Smith leaves the audience wanting more and while he promised this is the final "Jay and Silent Bob" flick, it's packed with enough cameos and crude wisecracks to last Smith fans for a long time.