In a summer that has seen a number of sure-fire bets hit the tank, I'm very pleased to report that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, is one that I was counting on, and it does not disappoint. Aside from Steven Spielberg's "A.I.", the latest Kevin Smith opus was easily my biggest hopeful of the summer. I own all of his flicks on DVD or laserdisc and have seen them several times. If I had to pick a favorite it would have to be Chasing Amy, but I'm a huge fan of all of them. For months now, Smith has made it clear that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back would finish the circle that is the New Jersey Chronicles. So I went to this screening with great excitement as well a sense of sadness.

First off, I'd like to say that Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is flat out hilarious, and although I didn't get a sense of closure, I laughed my ass off throughout. Of all of Smith's pictures, this one seems the least controlled, which is saying alot and JSBSB benefits from this. This is, after all, a swan song of sorts and Smith throws in everything but the kitchen sink.

This time out, Smith goes back to basics. Chasing Amy and Dogma both showed a different side of Mr. Smith. They brimmed with honesty and ideas about life, love and religion. With JSBSB he returns to the crass, raunchy humor, of Clerks and Mallrats--full of vintage Jay and Silent Bob moments and a plethora of dick and fart jokes. I gotta tell you, that I find both sides of Smith's intellect to be wonderfully original and entertaining.

In Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the dynamic duo (Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes) are miffed to find that Hollywood is making a movie about their alter egos "Bluntman and Chronic." The thought of a film doesn't bother them, but the absence of royalty checks really pisses them off. So, they head out on a cross country road trip from New Jersey to Hollywood to set things straight. During their travels they meet up with an odd assortment of characters including a trio of fiery vixens (played by Shannon Elizabeth, Ali Carter, Eliza Dushky, and Jennifer Schwarlbach Smith) who may or may not be animal activists. Ultimately, the "gruesome twosome" do make it to Hollywood where all hell breaks loose on the Miramax back lot. The plot structure here is quite reminiscent of The Blues Brothers. By the end of the picture, Jay and Silent Bob seem to have all kinds of people after them.

Now for those of you not aware of Kevin Smith's work, it should be noted that he laces much of his dialogue with various colorful metaphors, so if you're easily offended, you best stay home. If you have an open mind, and can take this comedy for what it is, you're going to have as great a time as I did. Just let the juvenile prankster within loose for this glorious ninety minutes.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is full of hilarious bit performances that perfectly compliment the familiar rhythm supplied by the dead pan Smith and the shamelessly vulgar Mewes. Aside from all the characters from past Smith films (Banky, Holden, Randall etc.) we get the hilarious Will Farrell as a clueless wildlife Marshal (aptly named Wilenholly), and Chris Rock as an angry black film maker (aptly named Chaka). That doesn't even scratch the surface. The cameos in this picture are spectacular and plentiful. Smith also uses this film as a platform for lashing out at various enemies such as certain over rated film makers and all of those obnoxious internet back-stabbers.

In the splendid tradition of the Zucker Brothers, Smith also seems to have a ball spoofing a variety of films from The Fugitive to the obvious Star Wars, and while a couple of them don't quite work, this is a far more consistent comedy then any other released this year. We also get various 80's references and while the works of John Hughes aren't mentioned outright, his spirit is very present (watch for a Hughes trademark in which characters in this movie look at the camera and talk to the audience). Also, watch for a great homage to Pee Wee Herman.

Amidst all the jokes in this picture, we get the ultimate one at the expense of Utah. As fate would have it, we saw this particular screening in Salt Lake City and although Utah is often the butt of the joke in many movies, the audience ate this one up in grand fashion. You should have been there Kevin.

Aside from being very funny, I enjoyed watching this enormous cast making fun of themselves. This is, after all, just a movie, and Kevin Smith hasn't set out to make Citizen Kane. He just wants to make us laugh, and although JSBSB does offer up a few too many dick and fart jokes, it hardly ruins the experience. If this is the end of Jay and Silent Bob, I'm sure Smith wanted to get everything out of his system so he could move into the next phase of his career.

I believe the reason we all relate to this film's title characters is because, as the movie ever so "blunt"ly demonstrates, every town has a Jay and Silent Bob. In fact, if you dig deep I think you'll find that there's a little Jay and Silent Bob in all of us.

A few years back, I had the great opportunity to talk to Kevin Smith at a screening of Chasing Amy at the Sundance Film Festival. This guy is so cool and laid back. He didn't talk down to the fans and was really interested in having conversations with them. This like-ability translates to the screen and that's what I love about him and his films. Although I had high expectations for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, I walked out satisfied. I couldn't say the same about The Phantom Menace. And while it saddens me that this is the end of Jay and Silent Bob (which means we'll never get to see them as old men smoking a fattie on a park bench), I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for Smith. Be it Fletch Won or this feature length Clerks cartoon I keep hearing about, I'll welcome it with open arms. Thanks Mr. Smith, for the funniest damn comedy of the year!

P.S. You evil internet talk backers better watch your backs!