User reviews

When they learn that their alter egos are the subject of a reboot the eponymous Jay and Silent Bob head off to Hollywood to prevent the film from being made. Along the way they encounter some unexpected cargo and learn some home truths/unexpected life lessons whilst undertaking this journey...

Whilst I found the Jay and silent Bob reboot to be fairly enjoyable it did not really get the belly laughs from me that the original film got; although I am prepared to accept that I watched the original film at the cinema and haven't watched it since. Therefore, perhaps as I'm now quite a bit older (and believe me it's depressing for me to hear teenagers refer to people born before the 1990's as being old - like dude wtf??). However, there is a slight issue in watching 2 men who are in their late 40's still trying to behave like they are in their 20's. In fairness, the film offsets this slightly with Jay's character being forced to grow up a bit, but somehow it just doesn't work quite as well here or come off as convincingly.

The story in itself is quite flimsy and silly and in some ways it's hard to overlook the fact that this film may have merely acted as a very cheap way for a lot of cast members from Kevin Smith's previous films just to have something of a reunion. I can imagine that they all had fun making this film, but the feeling is that it was probably more fun for them than it was for the audience.

Not wishing to be too mean I have to admit that the film still has its funny moments and as director Kevin Smith deserves some credit for the self-deprecating approach that he brought to the material (which is arguably one of the film's biggest strengths).

It doesn't touch the original film and the sheer number of cameos shoehorned into the film does make the film reek of desperation, but the film still had some funny moments, but the film itself will probably appeal more to Kevin Smith and his peers rather than a mainstream audience.

The positives:

Lots of callbacks for diehard fans Some excellent cameos Some decent jokes Nerdy references

The negatives:

Harley Quinn Smith Jokes that don't land Jason Mewes' distracting mouth The acting The wafer thin plot The writing in the 3rd act

I'll open with the simple fact that if you're not familiar with Kevin Smith's body of work, don't bother with this one. Every joke and reference will fly over your head. Having said that...

I actually went to a roadshow screening of this with Smith and Jason Mewes in attendance. Even with seeing those two live and getting a sweet intro, the movie just didn't do it for me. At the same time when it points a finger at the reboot model of Hollywood and mocks it, this movie falls into the same traps as bad reboots. If it were a clever take on the reboot model (22 Jump Street), that would be a different story altogether but instead it's just the same plot all over again with the same jokes all over again. That might be the most disappointing thing about this movie, the comedy. While there were moments I was laughing, so many of the intended jokes were either references to old jokes from Smith's previous films or line for line repeated jokes. This movie isn't Smith saying, "hey! I came up with some new jokes for these old characters" more than it's him saying, "remember all these jokes that were funny 20 years ago? Well....here they are again!" I will call out one scene where I thought to myself, "I wish the movie was as good as this scene" and that's the scene with Ben Affleck reprising his role of Holden McNeil. That scene was funny, heartfelt and concise. Flashes of the Kevin Smith of old with dialogue. While there is more heart in this story than the first Jay and Silent Bob movie, it's handled with the same subtlety as the comedy, beating you over the head with it. Overall, I will say that if you love Kevin Smith's filmography and cherish every one of those films, go see this movie and laugh your ass off. If you're hoping that this movie is Smith's return to form, you'll be greatly disappointed. It's a Kevin Smith's Greatest Hits Tour, the question is, "how much do you like his music?"

I can't rate this any better than a "3", while the original is funny this one just misses almost all the marks.

What do you get when you have two 50 year old men playing characters created as and meant to cater to grunge stoner 90s kids? Mostly you get re-jokes. Most of us who were a Kevin Smith fan haven't enjoyed a lot of what he has produced in a very long while. "Jersey Girl" was pretty good.

This movie is just unconvincing, lazy and offensive. I wonder how bad "Clerks 3" will be? This one is just a really poor effort.

Let's start with the BAD. And yes there is enough of it.

1. The film by it's nature LOW budget. Granted Smith has always been on the low end and some of his movies have been more successful in spite of the budget. Clerks 1, 2, Amy.. some are hampered a slight bit Dogma.. so unlike 'Strike Back' the camera is much less static and the set pieces and physical comedy are toned down a bit (even the last act fight out could have been bigger).

2. This is not a negative really but at times the meta nature can make the film cheesy.. and on occasion the remake / reboot nature while the in-joke is supposed to be it's obvious is just a bit too much.

Having said that. This much like 'Strike Back' is a reward for the fans who have followed not only Jay and Bob.. but Dante, Holden, Brodie, Alyssa.. his various entries into the DC universe with cameos from his 'Supergirl' gang (sadly the cameos from 'The Flash' either never happened or were cut). But this also includes jokes from Smith about not only himself.. But even more this is a real family affair. The real Kevin and Jay have grown up.. they've become fathers and in this film, do has Jay even though he doesn't know it.

The reboot characters on their own adventure never really get much to do aside from the leader "Milly" aka Millennium Falken. I admit i appreciated her performance much more on the second viewing... She doesn't play a Jay clone and there's an actual friction between them but also as those who know the stories and obvious connection between them (Jay has idea been referred to as Uncle Jay). So it works really well on screen.

Even with the limited budget it's still a nostalgia blast. A few actors return some in their iconic roles and a few in new ones. Usually just a quick scene. I think most of them have been revealed but i won't spoil them here though.

I will say most people not familiar with the characters can enjoy the film on a smaller scale but will not appreciate the nostalgia fueled meta deep dive where most of the best humor comes from.

If you've found yourself at a moment in time where you're about to sit down and partake in the newest entry into Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, the extremely meta and self-parody heavy Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, you're doing so for a very particular reason and set of expectations, that Smith's ode to the good old days of his independent career will most certainly deliver on.

Reboot, to be clear, is not a great movie in itself, it's hastily put together, has a painfully long in the tooth finale and features a bare bones story that is not worth much discussion but with a new, more sentimental life view driving star, writer and director Smith, Reboot is somehow still highly likable in a way in which only this well established brand and set of characters can do.

After recovering from a very serious and near fatal heart attack, you can sense throughout that Reboot has come from a place of good intentions as Smith throws his famous stoner duo Jay and Silent Bob into a Hollywood defacing and musing on parenthood and love tale that sees the well-liked filmmaker in the best state his been in over the last decade after such debacles as Yoga Hosiers and the horrific Tusk.

With so much baggage and background, seeing Jay and Silent Bob back together is like spending time with old friends as Jason Mewes and Smith prove, that despite being now to old for this type of thing, they've still got it, as the duo find themselves on a cross country journey that is pretty much an excuse for Smith to get the gang back together again in what's a star-stuffed affair that is going to have Smith die-hards salivating at the very anticipation of whose coming up next.

From old time Smith creations like Ben Affleck's Holden McNeil, Matt Damon's Loki, Shannon Elizabeth's Justice, Jason Lee's Brodie Bruce and Brian O'Halloran's Dante Hicks, Reboot is absolutely loaded with throwbacks, character beats and even story conclusions as Smith and his leading collection of players set about ensuring Hollywood doesn't go ahead with further adventures of Bluntman and Chronic.

With so much reference and homage present across the entire run-time of Reboot, it makes itself a must-watch for long time Smith fans and while it's by no means as good as Smith's most accomplished and memorable cult hits, there's something about the fact Reboot isn't trying to be anything that it's not in a movie making climate that often tries it's hardest to float downstream, even if it would be wise from here on out for Smith to retire these characters from future solo outings.

Final Say -

Far from cinematic greatness, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is a film for the fans, giving them exactly what they expect in a refreshingly uncompromising manner, making this film a winner for all those that matter.

3 tater tots out of 5

The movie relies on Jay and Kevin Smith's kid to drive the movie, that tells you about all you need to know. A steady diet of Jay shouting and Kevin Smith's kid struggling to act gets real old, real fast.

The jokes are lazy, the teenager girl gang is annoying and the whole thing is a massive letdown.

Its okay to put the dope down. Kev must have thought this was funnier than it was. The ending is better than the whole movie so stay for the credits.

This has all the makings of such a good movie. All the Kevin Smith movie characters in one movie all coming back? Sounds awesome. I was shocked that I didn't laugh the entire runtime. How did they go from clerks and mallrats to this? The jokes all fall so flat. The callbacks just had no subtly to them at all and just felt so forced. That's honestly the best way I can describe this whole movie is forced and in your face. It's a sequel that never needed to happen at all. Not to mention the whole "Russian collusion" and "rigged election" commentary was just blatant with no subtly and just came across as ignorant and arrogant. I genuinely mean this when I say it. The end credits were the best part. And that's not a joke. The end credits show a bunch of deleted scenes that were way funnier than anything in the actual movie. I'm genuinely shocked and interested to see how much of this movie was cut.

I thought this movie was fun, emotional and packed with familiar faces. Saying it was a rehash of Kevin Smith movies was sorta the whole point of this movie. It was fan service and being a fan, I thought it was great!!! I've been waiting for Kevin to make this movie for a long time since I wasn't a huge fan of Tusk or Yoga Hosers (but I did like Jersey Girl!). This is a true View Askew piece of cinema IMHO!

"Jay and Silent Bob Reboot" is the latest work by the cult Kevin Smith, in which he mercilessly mocks himself. The film is at the same time a sequel, remake and reboot of the "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001), a homage and a parody of Smith's previous filmography, in which, as before, he mocks pop culture, but this time also his own movies, and even personality and private life. I've always had a fondness for people capable of making fun of themselves, especially when they're witty and ruthless, and the film, as I am a big fan of Kevin Smith, has also awakened nostalgia. But, as its name suggests, "Reboot" brings a little new and relies almost exclusively on a rehash of old jokes, aiming at the nostalgic emotions of the audience rather than their intellect. Compared to his early classics, which are never outdated and are equally fresh and fun even after many reruns, I must say that Kevin has lost the edge here. While it isn't bad, it's a quite forgettable and somewhat pathetic movie for one viewing.

6/10

I loved Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but this movie is a huge dumpster fire.

When Joey Lauren Adams and Ben Affleck are listed as top billing that shouldve been a huge red flag (theyre only in the movie about 5 minutes towards the end)...Melissa Benoist isnt even actually "in" the film- shes sactually in a preview of the movie shown at Chronic-Con...during the movie. She and Harley Quinn Smith shouldve reversed roles because Harley isnt funny at all and really obnoxious and annoying here.

The meta jokes are more cringe than funny and the plot is all over the place and just dumb (and not in a good way). J&B Strike Back felt like an adventure, but this movie feels like a bunch of quickly put together SNL clips.

Just stay away from this one.

Clerks 2 was brilliant. Everything after that has been one terrible film worse than the last. Please stop. You are destroying your own legacy with these outings. Love you man. Now rest and do something else. Please.

I gave this movie a 6.6 out of 10.

It wasn't bad and it wasn't altogether good. I'll start with the good.

Kevin Smith's daughter gives a great performance and Jay holds his own.

Harley Smith fit perfectly in this movie which is odd and to go further with that that oddness is what makes cult movies like this good; that you are seeing something not mainstream or one dimensional in a character so it feels so props to that.

The movie within the movie is basically the premise that was reused from the first one. I personally hate when there is any movie that has to go to Hollywood to get a movie stopped or a movie within a movie so going in I knew it was gonna be a moving plot. The idea that this movie is just a reboot for the first one is quirky and SOMEWHAT works, but it mostly doesn't towards the end and I feel was a way for Kevin Smith to cover his nuts with the poor execution of a story that was probably written while stoned.

With that said, the ugly: the plot barely holds on its on not the premise the premise works but it was basically written with no production in mind at all on how to go from one scene to another, it was clown shoes. Jokes were reused some work some don't (jay makes most work) When it is over the top on how they get things done it's funny, comical, stoner making things work while forgetting; otherwise it is a big bag of fuuck flakes.

I personally did not like that Kevin Smith was pretty much a lead in this I mean he is a side kick if not less I get you almost died and this is basically your legacy but damn I do not find him interesting at all. For the most part emphasis on family and growing up was thrown in there like a dissected horse, and not for nothing but damn some of these actors are looking their age.

The magic that made Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back just isn't here, and it will never, nor should it be reproduced or rebooted. Kevin Smith should have known better and stopped himself. The story is mediocre, another road trip movie could have been fun for the fans, but this was tragic and deadly for the franchise. To say there is too much Hollywood behind this film versus the original would be an understatement. The whole reboot idea is just very unoriginal, ridiculous, and very cliched, especially with the real world of television shows and other films being rebooted every day.

Very few lines of dialogue are funny. This film tries way too hard to build itself upon the foundation of Strike Back without ever trying to make a foundation of it's own right. The sight gags are far and few between, the funniest one being the holographics at the comic convention. The film makes itself too woke to be for the real fans of Jay and Silent Bob!

The movie is so meta that it makes fun of reboots and remakes. It's also a bit fun, but in order to enjoy it you need to satisfy a few conditions: 1) remember what the hell happened in Jay and Silent Bob 2) Liking the Jay and Silent Bob movie 3) being down with nostalgic reunions with every actor that Smith and Jay ever knew (or birthed) and guilted into cameo-ing in this and 4) not be freaked out by Val Kilmer's appearance. I vaguely remember finding the JaSB guys funny, in a sidekick sidestory aside kind of way, but I can't say remember a thing about the movie. That's why my advice is to rewatch it before you watch this. If you don't like it, watching the reboot is a waste of time. And then there is the cameo thing. At first you are delighted, then it goes a bit too far, then it goes way overboard and then you stop caring or, worse, you feel bad because you don't know who that guy is and what the reference is.

Bottom line: Alanis Morissette is not in this, which is unforgivable. Other than that, it felt like a long SNL sketch that announces SNL is over. It was partially fun, but the effect on me was : this is either not as fun as the original or the original was as fun as this... so I remember it too fondly. Sorry, Kevin, Deadpool this is not.

I was actually enjoying it for the first 15 minutes or so, just purely for the nostalgia of it, got a couples of laughs out of me. But then the storyline takes a horrible turn, and from thereon out it gets progressively more cringy and painfully unfunny.

It's like it forgets it's supposed to be a fun stoner film because it's too busy trying to pander to all the new age bs and squeeze in every new stereotype and cliché this side of the millennium (even if it is doing it ironically, it still tries WAY too hard).

This film is like that "friend" most people have who tries really hard to be funny..but he isn't, at all.

Really disappointing.

I'm a big fan of Kevin Smith's films and, in particular, his 'Viewaskewniverse,' which was basically his very own comedy 'shared universe' long before Marvel adopted the business model for their superhero films. Therefore, 'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' is the latest in a long line of movies which have the same characters in it which started all the way back in the mid nineties. So, as a 'die-hard' fan, I enjoyed it. Just.

The film follows the titular pair of dozy stoners who find out that - yet another - film is being made about their exploits and they must race across American from New Jersey to Hollywood in order to stop it getting made. Now, if you know the plot of 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' then you'll realise the plot is identical. This is deliberate. For the film pokes fun at Hollywood's current obsession with sequels, remakes and reboots.

Along the way, Jay and Silent Bob meet up with various characters from all the previous movies, not to mention making jokes directly related to their former exploits. I got every one of them, but it's worth noting that the person I watched this with was only a 'fairweather' Kevin Smith fan and she didn't get half of what was referenced. I guess this leads me to conclude that 'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' is mainly aimed at the existing fans of the franchise and only those with extensive knowledge will get the most out of it.

I also read online by a 'professional' film reviewer that one reason it almost didn't work out this time was because the film's 'core audience' (namely me!) was once well into the 'stoner humour' which Smith bases his work on. Now we've grown up, so has our sense of humour and we don't always laugh at what we did once.

I enjoyed the film, but I'm guessing that if you don't know anything about the previous work of Kevin Smith, not to mention enough about general pop culture and movies, then you're not going to get much out of this film. Definitely worth a watch if you're into the franchise, but a confusing viewing experience if you're not.

So I did the sensible thing and got pretty baked before watching this movie. The weed was quite good - not the killer kind of gear that wipes a person out but the type of high where your mind remains sharp and everything becomes even more engaging that usual.

I was at a close friends house whom I'd first got to know Kevin Smith movies with 24 years earlier when Mallrats finally released on VHS in our country after being delayed a jillion times. Being much older this time around we weren't as pumped as we were for Mallrats but we knew we were in for a good time and some Kevin Smith awesomeness.

We watched the movie and it was like, hmmmmm maybe we are too baked to get it? These appear to be Kevin Smith jokes so we should be laughing.

Nope nope nope. Same thing happened the next morning when sober - no laughter, no engagement and zero cares given for characters we know and love from his past works.

I dunno if it's the weed he smokes, Kevin's age or if he's spread so thin these days he doesn't have time to polish any of his work - but this movie sucked more than any movie has ever sucked before. It was cringe as balls.

The concept appears to be is to take the movie reboot concept and layer the maximum amount of absurdity on top. The problem is that Kevin Smith channeled so much absurdity that he himself changed at a cellular level. Being so completely altered by the process of writing that it transformed his very DNA, he then lost his power of objectivity and the ability to channel any sort of human emotion into his work. The result is a lifeless movie that fails to engage on any level other than the challenge to keep watching. Even the Affleck cameo was wasted.

Hopefully the global pandemic has given him enough time to dedicate to writing and creating something even half decent for his next trip into the askewniverse.

This is a love letter from Kevin Smith to Kevin Smith's movie carrier. If you watched all the Jay and Silent Bob movies and you are kinda familiar with Kevin Smith other works and you are a kinda fan, you will love it. If not, you fa...are in big trouble.

It is so hard to rate this movie. I loved the all the cameos and easter eggs and references. For a 90' kid, it was awesome. But the whole movie are those three. Without them it is worst than Jersey Girl.

The premise is cute. Make a film reboot about the reboot phenomenon that's about "itself". Everything else blows. We have two 50 year old men playing characters created as and meant to cater to grunge stoner 90s kids. The jokes that are new are barely worth a chuckle. The rest of the crap is, well all re-joked. And the "adventure" aspect of the movie is gone. Doesn't feel at all like a destination. Just feels like locations where they can squeeze in whatever lame old SNL celeb is required at the moment. Kevin Smith was decent once upon a time, but he got old and his writing did not. Clerks was quirky, Mallrats was decent for a dumb youth comedy. But I should've known better after I sat throughTusk. Sorry, Id have like to like this but Jay & Silent Bob are relics of a long gone era. Everyone wants nostalgia to work, but it's just like opiates. The second hit doesn't get you as high as the first. Nostalgia just quickly feeds the addiction you can't explain. Then it's on to the next one.

I am actually not sure if "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot" even got released. I cannot imagine how it could because that would mean that some studio executives somewhere would actually have to endure this "film" for two hours.

I doubt this review will help anybody because I could not even make it through half of the "movie". I watched it up to a "scene" where the blond fella who is Jay and Silent Bob go to some fast food restaurant, and the scene was so stupid it defies any kind of logic of how this thing would ever get released even on some obscure cable station. Kevin Smith doesn't speak when he plays this character so he just makes these dumb faces and moves his head around and somehow this is supposed to be really funny. Do even the most diehard fans actually laugh at this? Does Kevin Smith think he has great physical comedy skills or something? I really cannot think of many performances that come off more awkward, it just doesn't work at all. I don't want to ever think about this stupid thing ever again. Can you imagine how many good screenplays were never produced and this ridiculous crap gets made. Truly just painful in every way. It's not even fun to make fun of it because it's just too boring. Maybe Kevin Smith can take this act on stage and stand there and make those stupid faces to all his diehard fans.

I don't know what the story is even about or what happens to silent bob and his friend, just do yourself a favor and never look at this one. If your friend suggests watching this, just punch him in the stomach and go to bed.

I will not even rate this thing because I cannot seem to find a way to give it less than one star.