Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2003, VHS)

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a hilarious comedy that takes a swing at everybody and manages to connect consistently right smack on your funny bone. By far, this is out-and-out the funniest film of the year.

Not only does writer/director Kevin Smith lampoon every movie under the sun, including Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, Scream, E.T., Charlie's Angels, The Fugitive and every single Ben Affleck film, but he also turns the camera on himself and mocks his past movies and his devoted fan base. Hell, he even pokes fun at movies that haven't come out yet (Scooby Doo), films that will hopefully never come out (Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season) and film fanatics on the Internet.

Nothing is sacred, but at least it's damn funny.

Fans of writer/director Kevin Smith are already well aware of his duo of dubious dopeheads. Jay (Jason Mewes) is a rude, foul-mouthed marijuana dealer who says everything that crosses his compact little mind, especially the stuff that should be censored, and Bob (Kevin Smith) is his silent partner (er, heterosexual lifemate) who couldn't get a word in edgewise if he tried.

In Smith's own words, they aren't exactly the paragons of intellect, so, why then is an entire movie being made about them?

The quick answer is that they are downright funny. The long answer is that once upon a time Smith charged up credit cards and sold his comic book collection in order to finance his first independent film, Clerks. The black-and-white comedy combined witty dialog and eccentric characters (including Jay and Silent Bob) and the film went on to be a tremendous success.

Since then, Jay and Silent Bob have appeared in Smith's subsequent films, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma, not to mention a few cameo visits in several MTV commercials, rock videos and Scream 3.

With Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Smith is hoping to send the characters off in a bang and hang up their trenchcoats permanently. After all, how long can you play the same characters?

Not long enough, apparently.

When the film first begins, the audience immediately discovers how the two characters first met. Then the movie jumps to modern day where Jay and Silent Bob get kicked out of their favorite convenience store hangout in New Jersey.

Now, left with nowhere to do nothing, they meet up with an old friend, Holden (Ben Affleck, Da Bomb in Phantoms, Yo!), who informs them that the comic book characters he based on them, a.k.a. Bluntman and Chronic, are going to be featured in a big movie that has a lot of Internet buzz. Unfortunately, most of the buzz is that Jay and Silent Bob are idiots and that nobody should ever base comic book characters on them.

Not appreciating having their bad names smeared all over the Internet, the two anti-heroes decide to go to Hollywood to sabotage the filming of Bluntman and Chronic so that the movie will never be made and all of the Net geeks will have nothing to complain about.

Along the way, they run into sexy women thieves (Eliza Dushku, Bring It On, Shannon Elizabeth, American Pie 2, Ali Larter, Varsity Blues and newcomer Jennifer Schwalbach), a clever orangutan (who may or may not be Robin Williams in an uncredited cameo), a hyper wildlife ranger (Will Ferrell, Drowning Mona) and plenty of other fun surprises. I would go into more detail, but I think it's best if you discover the surprises for yourself.

However, I will say that this film utilizes tons of cameos -- and pretty much all of them are extremely amusing. Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, Judd Nelson, George Carlin and Jason Lee are just a few of the actors who make funny appearances.

Periodically, the film contains several "in-jokes" that will be a lot funnier to those who are familiar with Smith's other cinematic efforts; however, even if you step into the theater with no prior knowledge of the characters, the film will keep you entertained and amused, provided you are not offended by irreverent comedy.

Of course, there is plenty by which to be offended. The foul language is relentless and Smith pretty much targets everybody on the planet, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. I may have been offended if I wasn't too busy cracking up constantly.

Still, the humor is not mean-spirited. Instead, the film dares us to laugh at ourselves and the stupidity of those who are ignorant or intolerant. So, it's a message film. (Yeah, right.)

Overall, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is a nice mix of witty and sophomoric humor, capitalizing on several great actors and a lot of clever ideas. Not all of the jokes work (there are a few eye-rolling moments, to be sure), but it is nice to see a film that rolls with its own punches. There are several self-referential moments where the movie seems to be saying: "I can't believe you're still watching!"

True, the whole plot may be an excursion in mindless mayhem, but it's a far superior experience in comparison to the other summer comedies that have invaded multiplexes, including Scary Movie 2, Rat Race and American Pie 2.

The big difference is that this movie will appeal to everybody who has watched those movies and countless others. Smith's knack for satirizing pop culture is ever-present in this film, and anybody who has invested considerable time in watching movies or has read movie reviews on the Internet will be greatly rewarded for all of those so-called "wasted" hours.