This is the fifth and final installment of the View askew Universe that combines and interconnects all the characters and pop culture all into one. The great thing about these movies is each movie has a very simple story and then evolves into something much more as well as the unique and crude characters that are presented.
The characters of Jay and Silent Bob are the classic character that have been included in each of the films. Everyone has there favorite movies from the Jersey series and each movie has there different kind of merits. My most favorite would still have to be Dogma. The film itself was sheer brilliance and would be really understood and found amusing by any lapse Catholic. Jay and Silent Bob strikes back enters the mix and unlike the supporting roles they had before this time around Jay and Silent are in the spotlight as the main characters with all its guns blazing, holding nothing back being the funniest movie of the series.
PLOT
As usually with Smith’s movies there really is not a main story element but just several little things that built up over time. You have to definitely have talent to bring lucriously simple stories such as the life of convience store clerks and turn it into a complex interconnected story.
Smith does this by concentrating and focusing on the interesting and obnoxious characters that are portrayed. Strike back starts out with Jay and Silent Bob still hanging out at the quick stop selling there wares of highness chronic and not long after are arrested for loitering and need to find somewhere else to hang.
The tag team visit there friend Brodie at his comic shop and find out that the comic characters that were created based on them called Bluntman and Chronic is made into a feature film. The problem with this is that they will not be getting any of the profits that are generated from this movie. Well of course this doesn’t set well with them so they do the only thing they can, go to hollywood and stop the production from starting.
That’s basically it and it sets forth a fury of vulgar wraith and profanity that leaves no stone unturned and produces a lot of inside jokes that are only understood by seeing the other four movies. Believe me after watching this movie It was hard to control myself from using color metaphors after every other word for the rest of the day.
CHARACTERS
Every single characters that appear in past movies of the View Askew Universe is in here including brand new actors. Most of the movie is one big Saturday night live episode all rolled into one as they travel to hollywood. You got people from George Carlin to Mark Hamill(his character was almost to painful to laugh at), as well as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon that make an appearance some more memorable then others. There’s so many cameos in this movie it’s hard to absorb one and then they jump to someone else. Jason Mewes gives one of his best comedy performances from the series.
There’s one scene that involves Jay and a camcorder that’s so funny I surprised I didn’t crack all my ribs laughing so hard. Then of course you have to have the pretty eye candy in your movie. Eliza Dushku, Shannon Elizabeth and Ali Larter fill in the roles as the beautifully leather clad thieves that take advantage of Jay and Silent Bob. Everyone seems to have something for Shannon Elizabeth but I believe Eliza even more attractive and can actually act with some kind of talent or anyone else for that matter.
PROBLEMS
I guess the main issue is that many people many be insulted and offended by the humor that’s displayed in the feature. Every kind of subject matter is fair game when it comes to this kind of low brow comedy and there’s really no limits to who gets targeted. Smith even make fun at the audience a couple of times for still watching during the movie.
You really can’t understand this humor without seeing the other movies because the inside jokes from the other films would pass you by. Another issue that takes away from the movie believe it or not is putting Jay and Silent Bob and highlighting them as the main characters. Don’t get me wrong I loved them in the spotlight with this one but you lose some of the charm when were just the supporting characters. But having them front and center is a great send off for the series.
CONCLUSION
Strike back is a movie that never takes it self seriously and that why it’s really so funny.The great thing about this humor is that it’s not just stupid gags found in other comedy that are only meant to shock you, it provides actual thought and talent as a method behind the madness. The humor found in Smith’s other four films maybe low brow but there was always a greater meaning or importance to his movies.
Smith does away with the meaning and provides you with a straight up laughter that’s no stop throughout the whole movie. If your easily offended with these kinds of comedies you probably haven’t heard of or seen any of Smith’s movies so this wouldn’t be for you. But if your a fan and seen all the movies, your definitely in for a real treat that encompasses everything that has made the View askew universe great to watch