Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Kevin Smith fans will enjoy, but not for younger viewers.

Movie R 2001 104 minutes
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Accurate P.
Accurate P. Parent of 15-year-old
April 24, 2023
age 14+

I saw this when I was 13

The F word is used over 100 times during the span of an hour and 40 minutes. There's also a lot of sexual humor. Overall, I'd say it's probably a 14-16 depending on the kid.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
RichManGold
RichManGold Adult
December 20, 2020
age 15+

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (played by screenwriter/director Smith) are two small-time drug dealers who spend their lives hanging out in front of the convenience store that provided the setting for Smith's first film, Clerks. In his third film, Cashing Amy, it turned out that they were the inspiration for the offbeat superhero stars of a successful comic book created by the lead characters (played by Ben Affleck and Jason Lee). In the latest installment, Jay and Silent Bob find out that there is going to be a movie based on the comic book, and they go to Hollywood to stop the production. Along the way, they run into the Scooby-Doo gang, a minivan of gorgeous girls and a guy with a guitar who say that they are on their way to protest animal testing, just about every character from the previous four movies, and many of today's hottest young stars, happy to show everyone that they are not taking themselves too seriously.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7 ):
Kids say (15 ):

Kevin Smith fans will have a lot of fun with this movie -- and even more when the DVD comes out and they can add another layer of arcania and in-jokes. If you don't already know who Jay and Silent Bob are, see Smith's other movies before you see this one. But hard-core Smith fans (I don't think there are any other kind) will find JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK just the movie they were waiting for. It's a love letter to his characters and to his fans, a sort of movie equivalent to the holiday greetings the Beatles used to send out to members of their fan club. Jay and Silent Bob is filled the cheery vulgarity, sweet sprit, deliriously crackpot dialogue, and cornecopia of arcane references to pop culture and to Smith's view askew world. In other words, it is the ultimate culmination of Smith's oeuvre. It either clears the decks and enables him to move on to something new, or it just paves the way for another round of Red Hook-based, self-referential little gems.

This movie is a sort of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (or The Wind Done Gone) of Smith's previous movies. He has taken two tangential characters who have appeared in all of the other films and given them their own movie. This is the kind of movie that has Ben Affleck say, "Who would pay to see a movie about Jay and Silent Bob?" and then turn toward the camera to give those of us who did a knowing wink. Everyone on screen makes fun of the movie, the characters, and themselves.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the real-life Jason Mewes might feel being turned into the movie's Jay, and Smith, who puts such rich dialogue into the mouths of other characters, created a silent character for himself.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 24, 2001
  • On DVD or streaming: February 26, 2002
  • Cast: Ben Affleck , Jason Mewes , Kevin Smith
  • Director: Kevin Smith
  • Studio: Dimension
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 104 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: nonstop crude and sexual humor, pervasive strong language, and drug content
  • Last updated: June 2, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate