By Will Vandergriff
Northern Light

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Dimension Films) Directed By Kevin Smith

Photo courtesy: dimensionsfilms.com

In his usual quick-cut, medium close-up shooting style, director Kevin Smith gives the movie-going public the final installment of his “New Jersey Trilogy.”

“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” is Smith at his sophomoric best. The humor covers all of the bases at the basest. From women to monkeys, Smith leaves no species offended or caricatured.

The story follows Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith, of `Dogma' fame) on their quest to regain their credibility and stop the movie being made out of their comic book alter egos, Bluntman and Chronic.

The dialogue between the two is standard fare, as Jay plays the quick-talking Aplha male while Silent Bob's his quiet sidekick.

The film is full of cameos from Smith's “repertory” troupe. The actors in the troupe include Smith mainstays Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, and George Carlin to name a few. They all support the humor, wryly albeit. The movie runs one hour and fifty minutes and seems 30 minutes too long.

The story line has been used up, and the jabs poked at films like “Charlie's Angels,” “Scream,” “Good Will Hunting” and “Star Wars” act as the bridge between the profanity-laced dialogue of the two anti-heroes. But for the hard-core Smith fan, who's past works include the seminal “Clerks,” “Mall Rats,” Chasing Amy” and the controversial “Dogma,” the movie will bring a fitting close to the series. After all, how long can you milk flatulence, homosexuality and sexual intercourse jokes?

The franchise has produced some of the most biting social, political and religious comedy over the last eight years but Smith can't seem to get his message, whether it be redemption or justice, across with out giving way to his fans' favorite jokes courtesy of Jay and Silent Bob.

Will Farrel as a Wildlife Ranger is one of the many actors who's cameos provide the funniest subplots of the movie, lampooning “The Fugitive's” Tommy Lee Jones character and struggling with his own self image and sexuality.

The movie is not suitable for anyone with good taste, but is one of the best summer comedies offered. Language and faux-violence run rampant, as do sexual innuendo, but taking the movie for what is meant to be, a peon to Smith's legions of fans, it is hard not to stifle a laugh, even if it embarrasses you with it's content. To the hard-core Smith fan movie is worth the full price of admission, but to the casual fan of comedy it rates as a matinee, at best.