Things take off from here with a stolen orangutan, pilfered jewels, loony Federal Wildlife Marshal Wilenholly, a national manhunt and crashing a major studio production. I won't spoil things for the fans and the curious, so I'll stop here with any further description. What "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" really amounts to is a self-indulgent, buddy fest that brings together all of the Friends of Kevin and others into a goofball journey across the USA. It has its fun moments, but is aimed squarely at the fans of Jay and Silent Bob. It has some laughs along the way, but fewer than I expected.
The cast of cameo perfs and bit parts abounds with all manner of young, not-so-old, and the occasional icon player. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck poke humor at their own celebrity status, particularly Affleck's notorious hedonism. (Shortly after the screening I saw, Affleck admitted himself for detox. Fact parallels fiction, I guess.) Joining these "big name" stars are Smith alumnus Chris Rock, Alanis Morissette, Jason Lee and Joey Lauren Adams and a myriad of others names that is too long to list. Everyone, especially Mark Hamill as super bad guy Cock-Knocker (we has a huge right hand) and foe to Bluntman and Chronic, are having one hell of a good time.
There isn't a bad bone in the body of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" but the film is too loaded with inside jokes and mutual admiration and camaraderie to draw in the audience. I felt, and I should never feel this way, like an outsider looking in and I am privy to all the inside humor. The film is a paean to Smith's dynamic duo and has the feel that he is putting his long-time characters to bed - probably until someone gives him a bunch of money to resurrect the guys once again. I give it a C+.
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