Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

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Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Kevin Smith
Produced by Scott Mosier
Written by Kevin Smith
Starring Jason Mewes
Kevin Smith
Ben Affleck
Shannon Elizabeth
Eliza Dushku
Ali Larter
Chris Rock
Music by James L. Venable
Cinematography Jamie Anderson
Editing by Scott Mosier
Kevin Smith
Distributed by Dimension Films
Buena Vista International
Release date(s) August 24, 2001
Running time 105 mins
Country United States of America
Language English
IMDb profile

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) is a film written by, directed by and starring Kevin Smith, the fifth to be set in his View Askewniverse, a growing collection of characters and settings that developed out of his cult favorite Clerks. While centered around the two title characters, portrayed by Jason Mewes and Smith, the film features a variety of celebrity cameos, such as Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Matt Damon, Carrie Fisher, Wes Craven, Joey Lauren Adams, Jeff Anderson, Judd Nelson, Scott Mosier, Brian O'Halloran, Will Ferrell, Jon Stewart, Shannon Elizabeth, Ali Larter, Mark Hamill, Chris Rock, Eliza Dushku, Seann William Scott, Marc Blucas, Alanis Morissette, Gus Van Sant, Jason Biggs, Diedrich Bader, Tracy Morgan, Shannen Doherty and George Carlin.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a prime example of the phenomenon of "fanservice" - while maintaining its own plot, the movie has nearly constant in-jokes referencing Smith's previous four films. The title and logo for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, in particular, are direct references to the second-released Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back.

Smith originally intended this to be the last film to utilize his View Askewniverse, or feature Jay and Silent Bob. Five years later Smith changed his mind and decided to close out the series with Clerks II, resurrecting Jay and Silent Bob in supporting roles. In the end credits for that film, however, it states the two might return someday.

The film made $30,085,147 in the domestic market, and an additional $3,703,014 overseas, for a total of $33,788,161 gross in theaters.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Jay (Jason Mewes) and Bob (Kevin Smith) find out that Bluntman and Chronic, the comic book based on their likenesses, has been adapted into a film in production by Miramax Films. Upon learning of the movie, as well as the negative reaction the movie has received so far on the internet, the two set out on a quest to Hollywood, to prevent the movie from being made and tainting their "good name", or at the very least "get [their] motherfucking movie check" from the royalties due them.

On the way, they befriend an animal liberation group called S.A.A.C. (Students Against Animal Cruelty), consisting of four women and one man they picked up for the cause. It is revealed that the organization is a front; the man (Seann William Scott) is a patsy, intended as a diversion by freeing an orangutan from an animal testing laboratory while the girls rob a diamond depository nearby. Jay cons the man into embarrassing himself in order to get closer to Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), the most compassionate of the women and the one with whom he finds himself smitten.

Jay and Bob now must stand in as the patsies. A wildlife field marshal arrives named Marshall Willenholly (Will Ferrell), a name derived from three of the main characters in the TV show Land of the Lost, Marshall, Will, and Holly. Blinded to the diamond heist, Willenholly chases them as they make their way to Hollywood with the orangutan.

While the girls are robbing the diamond depository they accidentally set off the alarm, prompting them to break the glass and steal the diamonds. While this is going on Jay and Silent Bob free the animals only to escape outside and have the police show up and witnessing the girls van blowing up, believing them to be inside of it during the explosion.

Jay then takes the orangutan with him as a memorial to Justice. Quickly afterwards Federal Wildlife Marshall Willenholly shows up at the scene, claiming to have jurisdiction because "somebody let out all these animals". He is informed that all the animals have been recovered except for an orangutan, which he claims to be "the most dangerous animal known to man".

Confronting Jay and Silent Bob at a diner and issuing a threat to open fire, Jay and Silent Bob dress the orangutan as a child and walk out, claiming it to be their "love child" and threatening to go back to their liberal-minded city with tales of prejudice and bigotry from Utah. Marshal Willenholly thinks about the political repercussions and lets them go, to the amazement of the sheriff.

Realizing the child to be the orangutan in disguise, the officers quickly chase them into a sewer system, where both Jay and Silent Bob, as well as Marshal Willenholly arrive at a fall off point of a giant dam. The orangutan grabs Jay and Silent Bob and pulls them down. Marshal Willenholly amazed at how far down a fall it is decides to follow them by jumping off, only to realize going down that the orangutan (Suzanne) is hanging on a pipe extruding from the dam while holding Jay and Silent Bob.

Escaping the law, Jay and Silent Bob once again return to their quest to reach Hollywood only to have Suzanne taken by a Hollywood animal acting agency car. Now on a quest to get their ape back and to clear their names, the two once again embark to Hollywood.

Arriving in Hollywood the two find themselves in the background of a news cast (ironically about their kidnapping Suzanne) that Justice is watching. While Justice takes the diamonds and goes to Hollywood to set things right, Marshal Willenholly learns of their mission to reach Hollywood and leaves to find them.

After a long chase with Studio Security and reclaiming Suzanne, Jay and Silent Bob end up in Jason Biggs and James Van Der Beek's dressing room, where they quickly realize that they're the actors that will play the roles of Bluntman and Chronic (ironically, Jay asks Jason Biggs "did you get the third base from that Russian chick like in the movie" referring to the character of Nadia in American Pie portrayed by Shannon Elizabeth). Suzanne beats both of them up effortlessly and Jay and Silent Bob assume the roles of their characters, Bluntman and Chronic. Being forced into their costumes and thrown on stage, they must engage in a duel with Cock-Knocker (Mark Hamill), eventually taking a break from the scene when Willenholly interrupts to capture Jay and Silent Bob. During this final scene, Justice and her former jewel thief team arrive, and a climactic final battle ensues, after which Jay and Silent Bob get their royalties to the film, and Justice turns herself and her former team in to Willenholly in exchange for a shorter sentence and letting Jay and Silent Bob go.

The film ends with Jay and Silent Bob spending their royalty money on finding everybody who expressed negative opinions about the movie and characters, ranging from kids to clergy, and traveling to their town to beat them up, followed by Jay and Silent Bob with most of the cast enjoying a performance from Morris Day and The Time.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Soundtrack

Music from the Dimension Motion Picture Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Soundtrack to the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back by Various Artists
Released August 14, 2001
Recorded Various
Genre Various
Length 56:41
Label Universal Records

Music from the Dimension Motion Picture Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the soundtrack to the film, was released on August 14, 2001 by Universal Records. It alternates film dialogue with songs of various genres that appear in the film. It features the 2001 Afroman hit, "Because I Got High", whose music video featured the characters Jay and Silent Bob.

[edit] Track listing

  1. Interlude: Cue Music – Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce – 0:03
  2. "Jay's Rap 2001" – Jason Mewes as Jay – 0:32
  3. "Kick Some Ass" – Stroke 9 – 4:05
  4. Holden on Affleck – Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil – 0:28
  5. "Tube of Wonderful" – Dave Pirner – 1:45
  6. Cyber Savvy – Ben Affleck & Jason Mewes as Holden & Jay – 0:07
  7. "Choked Up" – Minibar – 2:58
  8. Doobie Snacks – Jason Mewes as Jay – 0:08
  9. "Magic Carpet Ride" – Steppenwolf – 2:43
  10. Jay & Justice – Shannon Elizabeth & Jason Mewes as Justice & Jay – 0:11
  11. "Bad Medicine" – Bon Jovi – 3:55
  12. Stealing Monekys – – 0:08
  13. "This Is Love" – PJ Harvey – 3:45
  14. Advice From Above – – 0:23
  15. "The Devil's Song" – Marcy Playground – 2:52
  16. Idiots vs. The Internet – – 0:06
  17. "Tougher Than Leather" – Run-D.M.C. – 4:23
  18. Willenholly's Woe – Will Ferrell as Willenholly – 0:09
  19. "Bullets" – Bob Schneider – 4:22
  20. Touching A Brothers Heart – Jason Mewes & Tracy Morgan as Jay & drug dealer – 0:23
  21. "Hiphopper" – Thomas Rusiak featuring Teddybears STHLM – 4:46
  22. Two Thumbs Up – Chris Rock as Chaka Luther King – 0:07
  23. "Jackass" – Bloodhound Gang – 2:26
  24. A Smooth Pimp and A Man Servant – Jason Mewes as Jay – 0:16
  25. "Jungle Love" – Morris Day and The Time – 3:03
  26. NWP – Chris Rock as Chaka Luther King – 0:14
  27. "Because I Got High" – Afroman – 3:18

[edit] Reception

Up until its theatrical relase, the film had a lot of hype due to the fact the two main characters were already well known names, and the fact it was supposed to be the last live action Jay and Silent Bob film until Clerks II was released. The film was met with mixed reviews. While Kevin Smith fans enjoyed the film, people outside the Askewniverse thought the film was made "for Kevin Smith fans only" and " Every Cheech and Chong movie mixed together".

Despite the negative reviews the film received, it did find better life when released on DVD, becoming a surprise seller. Since being the first film starring Jay and Silent Bob, the movie also introduced a whole new audience of younger fans to Kevin Smith and View Askew, making the film a strong cult following.

[edit] Cameo appearances

Wes Craven, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shannen Doherty, Scott William Winters, Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Jamie Kennedy, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, George Carlin, Jason Lee, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, Shannon Elizabeth, Morris Day and the Time, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, Jennifer Schwalbach, Seann William Scott, Joey Lauren Adams, Gus Van Sant, Joe Quesada,and Dwight Ewell

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Kevin Smith
Films
Clerks • Mallrats • Chasing Amy • Dogma • Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back • Clerks II
Outside the Askewniverse
Productions
Abandoned
Comics
Notable characters
Notable cast and crew
Miscellaneous
Preceded by
Clerks: The Animated Series		 The View Askewniverse Chronology Succeeded by
The Flying Car