Rio Sun magazine Harlingen, TX - very positive

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: Just wanted to add my input. My editor and I didn't want to argue on who got to do the review so we did so together. He succested that we summerize the review as 5 blunts. : We both laughed our asses off. My wife told me that she hadn't expected to laugh out loud and yet we both did throughout the movie. : On a side note, the last time I'd laughed out loud in a theater (it drew uneasy stares actually) was during gladiator. I laughed my ass of when Maximus put the spike through Tigris of Gual's foot. Those here on the board will remember Tigris (Sven-Ole Thorsen) as La Fours in Mallrats. : : Imploding the Askewniverse : Ending the reign of Jay and Silent Bob with little or no injuries : By SHAWN MUNGUIA : and PHILLIP LOZANO : Rio Sun : If you’re in the mood for a Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma) flick, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. : Smith films are generally known for their snarky dialogue, mixing in hoity-toity intellectual discourse with penis and flatulence jokes. : Jay and Silent Bob is ALL penis and flatulence jokes. : That being said, almost everyone will find something to laugh at in the movie. The “almost” is a qualifier meant to indicate that it isn’t a very good idea to take kids to the flick (although they would surely appreciate the puerile humor). An adult with a child who appeared to be 8-years-old went to the sneak preview last Saturday and left about five minutes in; probably too late to miss the 10th phallus joke. : The plot is thinner and there’s much less of the witty dialogue that has been the strong point of Smith’s films since Clerks. If anything, the film resembles a Savage Steve Holland flick (Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer), but according to Smith’s posts on the board at www.viewaskew.com, this was intentional. : The film starts off with Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) hanging out, as usual, in front of the Quick Stop from Clerks. After a cursory visit with Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), they are ejected from the premises, which starts them on their oddball odyssey. : While visiting Brodie (Jason Lee reprising his Mallrats role), the duo learn that a movie is being made of the Bluntman & Chronic comic book that they were basis of in Chasing Amy. : Jay and Bob head over to get their “fat movie check” from comic strip artist Holden (Ben Affleck, reprising his Chasing Amy role) when they learn that the fictional characters based on them are being besmirched on the Internet. Outraged at the gall of anonymous Internet geeks, the two set off on a road trip to stop the movie. : At this point, all hell breaks loose and the road trip turns into a cross-country chase with cameos galore. No, this is not Rat Race; you’ll laugh at this movie. : While the road formula was also employed in Dogma, the movie is less a Smith flick than a chorus line of his film characters, and somehow it works. Those unfamiliar with Smith’s past work will miss some of the inside jokes, but that’s okay … if you don’t get a joke, hang on for about 12 seconds and there’ll be another chance. : There’s plenty of other pop culture icons to skewer, from Planet of the Apes to Scooby Doo to Smith’s own buddies like Affleck (a really good sport, by the way). : Occasionally, the cast breaks the fourth wall (when is the last time you heard of a juvenile comedy using the Our Town device?), which works best for Affleck and Matt Damon, playing themselves, on the set of Good Will Hunting II: Hunting Season. : As expected, stars such as Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie II), Lee, Damon and (as Smith puts it, “the Shatner of the Askewniverse”) Affleck turn in great performances. More bright spots are provided by the cameo bits by Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show), George Carlin (Dogma), Carrie Fisher (Star Wars) and Mark Hamill (ditto). : The biggest surprise comes from Mewes, who adds a great deal of depth to the little “stoner” Jay. Mewes shows that he has developed the chops for gigs outside the shelter of Smithdom. Writer/director Smith does a top shelf portrayal of the second title character and Jay’s hetero lifemate. It’s remarkable that the characters that originated in Clerks as minor players have matured to play the lead roles at the end of the series. : Smith’s visual skills continue to mature; this is the best looking film in the View Askewniverse. Multiple angles are used for scenes where Smith would have used static shots in the past and depth of field is skillfully brought into play. : If for no other reason, this film deserves note for finally giving props to Morris Day and The Time. : For those of you who don’t remember the last time that you really laughed out loud in a theater, forget Bubble Boy and see this movie. For once, all the best stuff is NOT included in the trailer. : Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is rated R for nonstop crude and sexual humor, pervasive strong language, and drug content. Running time: 99 minutes. : Phillip Lozano is the Features Editor for the Valley Morning Star. Shawn Munguia is the Graphics and Layout Coordinator for the Rio Sun magazine.

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