Plot: What’s it about?
The long-awaited conclusion to Kevin Smith’s “New Jersey Trilogy”(which actually consists of five films now) delivered everything that it should have, and that’s a good thing, because with the success of Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma, expectations for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back were very high. But chances of a failure were small, because the film had all of the ingredients for a great comedy: It already had a loyal fanbase, a high budget, cameos from some of Hollywood’s most well-known actors, and most importantly, with the R-rating, the chance to utilize Kevin Smith’s comedic genius to its fullest potential.
The plot, although rather generic, leaves room for some of the most original material in recent memory. When the film is not providing hilarious new material, it’s spoofing some of the most recognizable movies ever, including Planet of the Apes, The Fugitive, E.T., Batman, and Star Wars (as indicated by the title) under the competent direction of Kevin Smith.
Smith’s approach is also worth noting — he altered his highly criticized style by blatantly breaking the fourth wall many times throughout the film, while in front of the camera, Kevin Smith also gave an impressive performance that complimented costar Jason Mewes’s enjoyable performance.
The audience gets to watch both actors often enough, because, as the title suggests and unlike previous films in the series, this movie is about them. When Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) discover that a Bluntman and Chronic film is being made about their alter egos, they’re outraged. Not only are they upset that they didn’t receive any royalties, but also that Internet critics, while insulting them through their Bluntman and Chronic counterparts. Therefore, so as to protect their dubious reputations, Jay and Silent Bob set out for Hollywood to sabotage production of the film. Along the way they meet up with a gang of sexy diamond thieves that use them as a diversion for their heist, and in the process, Jay and Silent Bob kidnap an orangutan which in turn gets a federal wildlife marshal (Will Ferrell) on their tail. The movie hits its peak when the two finally make it to Miramax Films and wander on and off various movie sets in their search of the bogus production.
Fans of the series will find it amusing to see characters from the previous films reprising their roles, and though casual moviegoers may miss the inside jokes, they’ll still find it just as entertaining and enjoyable. Smith has an extremely hilarious and clever routine, especially because his film does not rely solely on swearing or vulgar humor to carry it. On the contrary, it has many jokes that will probably become classics, including one of the funniest scenes of the film in which Silent Bob has a conversation with an orangutan using only facial expressions and gestures.
It would truly be ironic if Smith’s routines reached the level of legend, because one technique that the director uses well in this film (and all of his works) is satire. It’s quite obvious that he’s poking fun at gossip websites, ultra-famous celebrities (like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon), Hollywood production companies, the media, and even Jay and Silent Bob itself (using the fourth wall). The vast range of routines and material means that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back pays a tribute to the whole series of films, and indeed, it’s as though Kevin Smith honed his directing skills for the purpose of this final installment.
Video: How does it look?
Kevin Smith movies haven’t always been compared to what we would or could call “Reference Quality”, but this comes pretty darn close. As with a new movie to DVD, the image is pristine and the colors seem to jump off the screen. Shown in an anamorphic 2.35:1 ratio, the image looks almost perfect but tends to suffer from a few red blemishes. There is no artifacting, no problem with edge enhancement and the black levels are dead on perfect, this seems to be a near-perfect transfer, but it tends to have something in the background saying “Not really”. Well, while viewers of the film will more than be pleased, I can say that this is the best-looking version of any of the five “New Jersey Trilogies”. ‘Nuff said.
Audio: How does it sound?
In addition to the video quality of the disc is the amazing Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Comedies, and especially Kevin Smith ones, aren’t really supposed to cover such a wide range of sound, but this does and it sounds pretty darn good. Dialogue has no problems, so you’ll be sure to hear all those swear words in clear, 5.1 sound. The surround effects are used to great length during several parts of the movie, so no one should be disappointed here. While there are certainly better soundtracks out there, this one surprised me and that’s saying a lot.
Supplements: What are the extras?
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