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. It focuses on two title characters, portrayed by Jason Mewes and Smith.
The title and logo for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back 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 it states the two might return someday.
Plot[]
Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent 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, consisting of four women and one man, Brent (Seann William Scott), they had picked up for the cause. It is revealed that the organization is a front; Brent is a patsy, intended as a diversion by freeing an animal from a testing laboratory while the girls rob a diamond depository nearby. Jay tricks Brent and throws him out of the van in order to get closer to Justice (Shannon Elizabeth), the most compassionate of the women and the one with whom he finds himself smitten. Justice then reluctantly accepts Jay and Bob as the new patsies.
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 (taking an orangutan, Suzanne, with them and letting the others loose). They escape outside to see the police arriving and the van exploding, which they believe has killed the girls.
Jay then takes the orangutan with him as a memorial to Justice. Quickly afterwards Federal Wildlife Marshall Willenholly (Will Ferrell) shows up at the scene. Blinded to the diamond heist, he claims to have jurisdiction because "somebody let out all these animals". He learns that all the animals have been recovered except for the orangutan.
When the officers later have the trio cornered inside a diner and threaten to open fire, Jay and Silent Bob dress the orangutan as a child and walk out, claiming that they want to get their "son" out of the danger zone. Marshal Willenholly, thinking about the political repercussions of an alternate-lifestyle family going back to their liberal-minded city with tales of prejudice and bigotry from Utah, decides to let them leave, but he quickly realizes his mistake and resumes the chase. When they jump into a sewer system, only Willenholly himself follows them, and he is soon tricked into jumping off of the dam.
Having escaped 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.
On their arrival 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 these are 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.
Cast[]
- Jason Mewes as Jay
- Kevin Smith as Silent Bob
- Shannon Elizabeth as Justice
- Will Ferrell as Federal Wildlife Marshal Willenholly
- Eliza Dushku as Sissy
- Ali Larter as Chrissy
- Jennifer Schwalbach Smith as Missy
- Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil / Himself
- Matt Damon as Himself
- Chris Rock as Chaka Luther King
- Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks
- Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves
- Jamie Kennedy as Chaka's production assistant
- Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce / Banky Edwards
- Wes Craven as Himself
- Mark Hamill as Himself (Cock-Knocker)/ Scooby-Doo
- Gus Van Sant as Himself
- Diedrich Bader as Miramax Security Guard Gordon
- Sean William Scott as Brent
- George Carlin as a hitchhiker
- Carrie Fisher as a nun
- Judd Nelson as a sheriff
- Jon Stewart as Reg Hartner
- Shannen Doherty as Herself
- Tracy Morgan as Pumpkin Escobar
Soundtrack[]
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.
Track listing[]
- Interlude: Cue Music – Jason Lee as Brodie Bruce – 0:03
- "Jay's Rap 2001" – Jason Mewes as Jay – 0:32
- "Kick Some Ass" – Stroke 9 – 4:05
- Holden on Affleck – Ben Affleck as Holden McNeil – 0:28
- "Tube of Wonderful" – Dave Pirner – 1:45
- Cyber Savvy – Ben Affleck & Jason Mewes as Holden & Jay – 0:07
- "Choked Up" – Minibar – 2:58
- Doobie Snacks – Jason Mewes as Jay – 0:08
- "Magic Carpet Ride" – Steppenwolf – 2:43
- Jay & Justice – Shannon Elizabeth & Jason Mewes as Justice & Jay – 0:11
- "Bad Medicine" – Bon Jovi – 3:55
- Stealing Monekys – – 0:08
- "This Is Love" – PJ Harvey – 3:45
- Advice From Above – – 0:23
- "The Devil's Song" – Marcy Playground – 2:52
- Idiots vs. The Internet – – 0:06
- "Tougher Than Leather" – Run-D.M.C. – 4:23
- Willenholly's Woe – Will Ferrell as Willenholly – 0:09
- "Bullets" – Bob Schneider – 4:22
- Touching A Brothers Heart – Jason Mewes & Tracy Morgan as Jay & drug dealer – 0:23
- "Hiphopper" – Thomas Rusiak featuring Teddybears STHLM – 4:46
- Two Thumbs Up – Chris Rock as Chaka Luther King – 0:07
- "Jackass" – Bloodhound Gang – 2:26
- A Smooth Pimp and A Man Servant – Jason Mewes as Jay – 0:16
- "Jungle Love" – Morris Day and The Time – 3:03
- NWP – Chris Rock as Chaka Luther King – 0:14
- "Because I Got High" – Afroman – 3:18
Reception[]
Up until its theatrical release, 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. It did however become a surprise seller when released on VHS and DVD, and is also a big favorite with Kevin Smith fans, giving the film a strong cult following.
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.
Cameo appearances[]
Wes Craven, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Shannen Doherty, Scott William Winters, Chris Rock, Jamie Kennedy, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, George Carlin, Jason Lee, Jason Biggs, James Van Der Beek, Morris Day and the Time, Seann William Scott, Joey Lauren Adams, Gus Van Sant, Joe Quesada, Dwight Ewell, and Alanis Morissette