Before director Kevin Smith became an insufferable burden to film critics, by throwing his toys out of the cot every time someone gave him a scathing review, he was a hero to nerdier side of film-making.
Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Dogma were all cult favourites of his, resulting in a film starring his Silent Bob alter-ego and foul-mouthed partner Jay, for one of the biggest in-joke films of all time.Where do we even begin with this film? Right from the start, you’re hit with swearing babies, drugs, Guns ‘n Roses and poop jokes and that’s before the ten minute mark is even reached.
Factor in a crap-load of cameos from actors who have been in previous Smith films, multiple times even, alongside a quest for some well-deserved cash, Hollywood making a Bluntman and Chronic film, monkeys and Will Ferrell as a bumbling wildlife officer, and you’ve got a film that manages to pull no punches.
It covers a massive amount of threads and angles, but as usual, Smith slots them all together perfectly. Jay is in his element as a swear-heavy monkey who meets the girl of his dreams, while Ferrell finally got to unleash some built-up insanity that he had been forbidden from doing so in his current film career, while an escaped orangutan fills in the now obvious need for the film to have an ape in it.
For a film that throws enough F-bombs to start a world war, it’s amazing that J&SBSB still manages to entertain, despite its crude premise and execution.
Hell, you’ve got Mark “Luke Skywalker” himself punching groins and taking names, while Chris Rock manages to make racism funny. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon show up to film a scene for possibly the greatest sequel that shall never be, while we’re reminded as well about why so many prostitutes have gone missing in the industry.
Not too mention Scooby Doo finally being sexy, a Planet of the Apes film that made the Tim Burton abortion pale in comparison and a quartet of latex clad jewel thieves learning not to eat fast food, and you’ve got a film that is crammed with content.
But as funny as the actual film is on its own, it’s even better if you’ve seen the other Smith films before. There’s a load of jokes that will fly over the average cinemagoers heaad, nods to past works, comics and films that glimpsed for a second, before they fade away, something that only the eagle-eyed viewer will spot.
It’s pretty much every film genre ever, from action and wacky hijinks, through to romance and drama, all rolled into one 90 minute spectacle.
I’ve never seen a film since this one, that has managed to make swearing an art-form, and I find something new to giggle at every time I play the f#$!ing laugh-fest again.
(NSFW Naughty language trailer, right here yo)
Last Updated: May 30, 2012
DieJason
May 30, 2012 at 15:43
Apple-sauce, bitch
Darryn_Bonthuys
May 30, 2012 at 16:24
AFFLECK, YOU DA BOMB IN PHANTOMS YO!
Stephan Wolhuter
May 31, 2012 at 08:12
One of my all-time favs!
nicholasvandenheuvel
May 31, 2012 at 08:24
Snooochies Booochies !! !!
Noelle Adams
May 31, 2012 at 11:08
“Do you follow the code?”
Justin Hess
May 31, 2012 at 13:06
I love that fucking orangutang