Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Feb. 25/02)

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back supposedly represents writer/director Kevin Smith's last foray into the world of Jay and Silent Bob (and all the other characters we've come to associate with Smith). Should he remain true to his promise, that'd really be a shame - given that Smith really has a knack for writing dialogue for co-star Jason Mewes (Jay to Smith's Silent Bob) and all the other bizarre characters that populate this fictional (and occasionally not-so-fictional) world.

Less a movie and more a series of sequences designed to bring back many former characters and random guest stars, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back's basic structure is that of the tried and true road-trip flick. The movie opens in Jay and Silent Bob's hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey, where the duo spend their days hanging around outside Dante's convenience store and Randall's video shop (Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson, respectively). They soon learn from Brodie (Jason Lee) that Miramax is making a movie out of Bluntman and Chronic, a pair of crime fighting comic book heroes based on the two of them. After paying a visit to Holden (Ben Affleck), the creator of said comic, the duo decide to head to Hollywood with the express purpose of preventing the movie from being made. A wacky road trip ensues.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, along with Smith's previous films, is light on plot but heavy on jokes. This usually isn't a problem, but the storyline is particularly thin this time around. The entire subplot featuring the four jewel thieves doesn't really go anywhere, and exists only to kill a good half-hour of screen time. Indeed, the stuff with these jewel thieves proves to be more dull than anything else - the laughs just about come to a dead halt whenever Smith dwells on these four ladies - and it's easy enough to wish that Smith would've just included more screwball antics with Jay and Silent Bob on their trek.

But aside from that, the film does contain a lot of big laughs and fun guest appearances. Virtually every major character from Smith's previous films is back (including some not-so-major characters; anyone remember Trish the Dish?), including a few that require the same actor to appear twice (Jason Lee returns as Banky and Brodie, for example). Add to that some hilarious surprise appearances (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon return for a sequence detailing the filming of "Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season"), and you've got a madcap comedy that rarely disappoints. Put it this way: The first half hour rocks, the middle 30 minutes is essentially disposable, while the last 45 minutes just fly by.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a suitable conclusion to the Jersey trilogy that wound up being five flicks. Check it out, but do yourself a favor - make sure you've seen the films that came before it before sitting down to watch Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.