Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Raunchy humor, cursing, and drugs in slacker sequel.
Parents Need to Know
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Where to Watch
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Jay and Silent Bob Reboot
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In the JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) have just been busted by the police for growing and possessing marijuana. A lawyer they've never met gets their case dismissed, but in exchange, the lawyer, who represents a movie studio, had the pair sign contracts that gave up the intellectual property to their names, thus allowing a reboot of Bluntman and Chronic. Now the two must drive from New Jersey to Hollywood to stop this reboot. While stopping off in Chicago, Jay sees an ex-girlfriend, Justice, on television as a local news meteorologist. Paying a surprise visit to Justice's house and hoping to reconnect, Jay instead learns that he's the father of Milly, now a teen attending private school. Justice asks Jay not to reveal his identity to Milly. When her mom leaves, Milly forces Jay and Silent Bob to give her and her friends a ride to Hollywood in order to attend the same Comicon where the final scene of Bluntman and Chronic is to be filmed. As they travel across the country and get into a series of misadventures, Jay finds himself more and more wrapped up in the idea of fatherhood as Milly reveals the pain she feels over never knowing who her father was. When they arrive at Comicon, Jay is faced with a choice: to either do what he and Silent Jay had originally intended to do, or to reveal who he is to Milly and try to make up for lost time.
Is It Any Good?
This will most likely work best for those who already enjoy Kevin Smith's movies and the "View Askewniverse" he has created over the course of nearly 30 years. The raw humor, innuendo, weed smoking, self awareness, and cameo after cameo of celebrities and characters from Smith films past are in abundance. The most interesting aspect of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot , and one that gets lost in the frenzy of profanity and jokes centered on sex or weed, is the relationship that develops between Jay and Milly, the troubled teen daughter he never knew he had. It's almost impossible to imagine after seeing Clerks that a character like Jay could possibly evolve past the basic two-dimensional parody he was back then, but here we are.
There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about this movie, and you can rest assured that everyone involved seems to realize how ridiculous the story is. By this point, you're either a fan of Smith's sensibility or you aren't. It's hard to imagine Jay and Silent Bob Reboot winning over any new fans, but for those who have enjoyed Smith's previous movies and the world he has created, there are plenty of rewards in the characters who reappear and in the characters who seem to grow as much as they're growing old.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about profanity in movies. How is cursing used for the sake of humor, or to reveal the way a character thinks, acts, and speaks?
How does Jay and Silent Bob Reboot find humor in self awareness, in making references to other movies, or in the differences between generations?
Director Kevin Smith has a distinctive style. Who are some other directors who have an identifiable style to their movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 29, 2019
- On DVD or streaming : January 21, 2020
- Cast : Kevin Smith , Jason Mewes , Melissa Benoist
- Director : Kevin Smith
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lions Gate
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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