Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (DVD)

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The film also uses so many homosexual jokes they become tiresome fast; and, in fact, the film got into a bit of trouble with gay rights activists about it. A closing-credits disclaimer announces, "No gay people were harmed during the making of this film...," but even Smith´s making light of the situation doesn´t make it any funnier. The film´s action continues through these closing credits, incidentally, so don´t leave too soon.

Video:
Buena Vista´s picture transfers always look bright enough, but they often appear to have a veneer over their surface, and such is the case with "Jay and Silent Bob." It´s never severe, but it softens the focus slightly. Otherwise, the image, projected in a wide 2.13:1 anamorphic ratio, is good and clean, free of any noticeable digital artifacts.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio reproduces some deep, pounding bass and wide dynamics when they´re needed. Most of the time, though, it´s just content to render dialogue clearly. One of the box blurbs notes that the sound was specially mixed for the DVD, but with no access to the original theatrical audio track, I couldn´t tell you what that means.

Extras:
Disc one of this two-disc Dimension Films "Collector´s Series" contains the widescreen presentation of the film, the DD 5.1 soundtrack, English and French spoken languages, and English and Spanish subtitles. Then, there´s an audio commentary with Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier, and costar Jason Mewes; Sneak Peeks at five other Buena Vista titles; and eighteen scene selections. Finally, the first disc contains various DVD-ROM materials, including the screenplay, enhanced filmographies, a guide to Morris Day and the Time, and access to an open-mic DVD for making one´s own DVD commentaries (Heaven help us).

Disc two contains the rest of the bonus items. Here you´ll find forty-two deleted scenes with introductions by Kevin Smith and guests, a full hour-and-a-half´s worth, possibly a DVD record of its kind. Personally, I could have done without the introductions, which, keeping with the tenor of the picture, are mostly self-congratulatory. Next is a segment called "The Secret Stash," basically another series of deleted scenes, also with introductions. After that are eight minutes worth of gag reel with an introduction and thirteen minutes of a behind-the-scenes featurette. Then there are two music videos: "I Got High" with Afroman and "Kick Skojme Ass" with Stroke 9; followed by Morris Day and the Time: "Learnin´ the Movies." Lastly, there are twenty-two minutes of Comedy Central´s Reel Comedy: "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"; three still galleries; a collection of cast and crew filmographies; a storyboard sequence; two Internet trailers; and six TV spots.

Parting Shots:
The single most amusing thing I remember from "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" is their looking up all the people who wrote nasty things about them on the Net, going to their houses, and beating the crud out of them. Makes you want to hesitate before answering the doorbell, you know?

In its defense, the movie did not insult my intelligence the way "Freddy Got Fingered" or "Say It Isn´t So" did. "Jay and Silent Bob" may have a lot of needlessly self-referential jokes, a lot of lame jokes, a lot of profane jokes, and lot of flat-out dumb jokes, but despite the potentially offensive nature of most of this material, it didn´t come across as offensive. In the end, Jay and Silent Bob (the characters) are so laid-back and likable that nothing they do or say seems particularly unpleasant. Now, if more of their gags had actually been funny to me, I might have been able to recommend the picture. Oh, well...I still think their legions of followers will be happy with the product. The film is rated R for obvious reasons.