This is where self-referential stops being coy, vain, or cult, and starts being a cry for help. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is like every other Kevin Smith film turned into a blubbering Frankensteinian human mess and wept openly on screen, “Why did you make me? Whyyyyyyyyy?” I don’t know how many Kevin Smith films you’ve enjoyed, but I guarantee it’s now at least one less than the number he’s made.
Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (writer/director/progenitor Kevin Smith) Reboot, not Remake (God help you if you call this a remake), to remind, recommit, research, relegate, and anything-but-redeem themselves for past recriminations. In fact, this Reboot has parlayed a wealth of cameo talent into such an amateurish feel, it’s hard to remember how hilarious and unique I once found Kevin Smith films. If I understand this correctly, a reboot is simply a retooling of familiar characters and dilemmas with younger actors and a more socially current perspective. Mission accomplished, sort of. The movie starts off with Jay and Silent Bob, who are anything but younger versions of themselves, and it follows them through the extended cast of every film they’ve ever made (again, not going younger, guys), but finally lands a climax involving Harley Quinn Smith and a set of actresses roughly her age, one of whom, thankfully, is not Lily-Rose Depp.
Our titular fools win and lose in the opening moments of the film. Caught dead-to-rights dealing weed out of a Chicken Sandwich restaurant named “Cock Smokers,” the pair retains the unexpected help of Brandon St. Randy (Justin Long), a hotshot lawyer who immediately gets the pot charges dropped before switching to the prosecution side to sue our heroes for the rights to their names. That’s cute. And it’s also cute that because Jay and Silent Bob don’t own the rights to their self-referential art, they lose their identities … that might have made a decent comedy, especially if they had to, say, go by “JJ and Soundless Robert” for an hour. They didn’t. This was used not as an excuse for the boys to invent new humor, but instead explore all the old stuff.
Facing a short-lived existential dilemma, Jayson and Quiet Bobby decide to get to the root of the trouble: Chronic Com to stop the release of Bluntman v Chronic. How does this get their names back? I don’t know. How are they going to stop a movie that’s already been filmed? I don’t know. How is this buddy road pic going to differ from any other buddy road pick? I don’t know that, either.
In this edition, Kevin Smith overacts like a professional sporting team mascot. I was used to him being laid back and having Jason Mewes interpret what Silent Bob nonchalantly shrugged. Here, Silent Bob is practically full mime. This may as well be “Mute Bob” for he clearly has a great deal on his mind these days, but –for all the celluloid experience- few acting chops to show it off.
I was quite bummed by what little humor I found in this film; Jaime y Roberto del Silencio have made me laugh in pretty much every movie they’ve appeared in, including Chasing Amy. It’s just not happening here, and going to a convention where every.single.patron is dressed as one of the two AND all the seminars deal with their movies seems beyond egotistical. This is sad.
With the middling attempts at comedy, and the celebrity cross-country drop-ins, Reboot plays a little like The Muppet Movie if the muppets were potheads. That said, here’s what I liked about the film: the non-comic stuff. Now, that’s gonna be a problem when the film is listed as “comedy” and nothing else. Reboot, however, was at its best when discussing the relationship between Milly (Harley Quinn Smith) and her newly discovered father (Mewes). Of course, the film couldn’t resist several fourth wall jokes at the expense of Harley’s real life dad, the writer and director of the film. Still, the relationship there was worth exploring even if the comedy was not. I liked Milly, her friends (sort of), and the hologram of Chris Hemsworth imploring guests not to hump his hologram. And if the film were entitled “Milly, A Bit of Her Friends, and Chris Hemsworth Imploring You Not to Hump His Hologram” I would have enjoyed that film. This one … not so much.
Two slackers with a marijuana core
Approach middle age with a routine boor
We’ve seen these two jerks
From Mallrats to Clerks
Don’t you guys need to chase Amy some more?
Rated R, 105 Minutes
Director: Kevin Smith
Writer: Kevin Smith
Genre: Tired of new ideas
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Kevin Smith
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who realize exactly how long ago Clerks was made
