While admitting to being a huge Kevin Smith nut, I consider Dogma to be a film of
great importance in my life. Smith's take on theology and faith challenged me in ways that
actually made me a spiritually stronger person. Not bad for a flick populated with dick
jokes and poop monsters. So I read with great dismay that Smith was not moving ahead with
deeper or more complex ideas but was "taking a step back artistically" with Jay
and Silent Bob Strike Back. Yet, I understood that he needed to exorcise certain
creative demons in order to progress as a filmmaker. Now, with most writer/directors, this
would sound quite insufferable but Smith makes his personal statement worth the ticket
price thanks to a barrage of potshots at the InterNet, Miramax, and film in general.
The
plot is pretty sparse: Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Smith) find out that a
film is being made based on the comic Bluntman and Chronic (from Chasing
Amy) who are characters that were based on them. The two get upset after slanderous
remarks regarding the project get posted on a "aintitcoolnews"-type web site. So
they pack up tent from their permanant station in front of the Quick Stop in Leonardo, NJ
(from Clerks) and head for Hollywood. Along the way, they run into the Mystery
Machine, a sexy set of international jewel thiefs, Will Ferrell, and a monkey. (As Brody
pointed out in Mallrats: "Everything could use an ape.) Once they get
to La-la Land, Jay and Silent Bob go about wrecking havoc all over the Studio that Bob and
Harvey built.
Jay and Silent Bob is
filled to the brim with characters and throwbacks to the entire View Askewiverse. Must one
be a Smith disciple to enjoy the film? I would say no. All of Smith's movies reference
each other, yet there are always additional layers to satisfy the virgins. If you know
anything about Miramax's place in the Hollywood food chain, the thrid half of the movie is
a riot. Not only do we get Wes Craven filiming a not-so-inspired Scream 4, we
also get to hear a conversation between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck that allows them to
thoroughly criticize each other's film career. There's also a dream sequence featuring the
cast of Clerks trapped on The Planet of the Apes. And as I would have guessed,
Smith seems to have like the original as much as I did. While the film industry remains a
key target, Smith sharpens his knifes on the rumor hounds that plague filmmakers on the
InterNet. In ways, I can see how he and others get their panties into a bunch over the
incessant, pompous slandering that floods fan sites and biz zines. Hey, I'm a film critic
on the web and I see some of these people really get their heads filled with illusions of
granduer. Folks, you're talking about movies on the World Wide Web. You share space with
sites devoted to tits and Faces of Death rip-offs. Lighten up! Its (No
apostrophe. Thanks, Mr. Corliss! Private joke, sorry) understandable why artists
like Smith don't enjoy seeing their product get spoiled and sliced by a populace that is
largely a bunch of hacks. But then, who the heck is Smith to go against such a
democratized media when he himself works under the cloak of a Disney-owned studio? Food
for thought, indeed.
This all is really funny stuff. Yet this commentary is
wrapped around some pretty slow and painful plotting. I might have remained more content
if Jay and Silent Bob had flown to LA and let the majority of the film take place there.
But instead, Smith gives us about 40 minutes of the ninety minute film devoted to these
female jewel thieves. Sure, Jay gets the girl (Shannon Elizabeth) and Smith pretty much
nails the stereotype of the liberated film heroine: They may talk tough and kick butt, but
they will always end up wearing the skin-tight, pleather outfits. (Kind of like Drew
Barrymore licking the steering wheel in Charlie's Angels or Kim Catrell showing
her boobs every time Darrin Starr wants her to in Sex and the City.) Liberated
females, indeed. But this is idea is clever and not necessarily that funny. And Smith ends
up taking it too literally as though he's trying to draw actual suspense from the
scenario. I was ready to see the duo bust into Mooby's corporate headquarters and start
blasting away, but to no avail.
Other than that, Smith
has created a lovely valentine to his fans. I was glad to see Dante, Randall, Banky, and
Will Hunting again. (Remember, Smith did produce Good Will Hunting) But I'm also
ready to see him move on. I can't wait for Smith's serious take on fatherhood or for the
new Fletch installment he's promised. He's probably the one of the best
screenwriter's we have and his direction is becoming more assured. Someday, he may even be
considered as the great social satirist that he really is. As for now, Jay and Silent Bob
are dead. Long live Jay and Silent Bob! |
