Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
★½ — Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
Kevin Smith returned to his View Askew universe for this 2019 meta-comedy, essentially a sequel to (and self-aware spoof of) his own 2001 film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, itself a similarly self-referential road trip. Shot on a modest $10 million budget and released through a hybrid theatrical/VOD strategy via Miramax, the film arrived at a cultural moment when franchise reboots and cinematic universe nostalgia were genuinely dominating Hollywood, giving Smith's central conceit a fairly obvious target. Production leaned heavily on the View Askew repertory company, with Smith casting his own daughter Harley Quinn Smith in a prominent role alongside series regular Jason Mewes. The film toured the United States as a travelling roadshow event before wider release, a distribution model Smith had used previously with his horror film Tusk.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) feels less like a movie and more like a vanity project wrapped in nostalgia, meta-commentary, and a desperate attempt to stay relevant in a world that’s moved on. The central joke (Jay and Bob remaking their own story because Hollywood keeps rebooting everything) is actually kind of clever. But the film squanders it with bloated runtime, endless cameos, and a frustrating focus on a new cast that feels completely shoehorned in. The biggest issue is Smith pushes his daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, into a major role as “Milly,” positioning her as the emotional core and moral compass of the film. Problem is, she’s not there yet as an actress. Her delivery is flat, her character underwritten, and the constant attempts to make her seem wise, edgy, or profound just come off as forced. It doesn’t feel earned, it feels like nepotism disguised as generational passing-of-the-torch. Meanwhile, Jason Mewes still brings heart and chaos as Jay (once again doing the heavy lifting), and Smith leans hard into self-parody, poking fun at his career, his podcasting obsession, and his aging body. It’s not evil, but it’s deeply self-indulgent, emotionally hollow, and painfully out of step with modern sensibilities. Even longtime View Askewniverse loyalists might walk away feeling like this wasn’t a reboot, it was a retirement party nobody asked for. Occasional chuckles, zero momentum, and a lead performance that screams favouritism over talent. A sad, cluttered echo of what these characters once meant.
Rating: ★½ | Year: 2019 | Watched: 2025-09-20
Where to watch (UK)
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from Kevin Smith: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) · Mallrats (1995) · Clerks (1994) · Chasing Amy (1997)
More with Jason Mewes: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
