I mostly agree w/ your spy – the film rocked, and I’ll get into that, but I don’t know where he got this 2 hours and fifteen minutes crap. The film started almost promptly – at about 7:35pm and I checked my watch at the end to see 10:30pm – and that was without opening opending credits – so unless we saw different cuts, the current cut seems to be 3 hours.
The special effects were incomplete (as well as transitions – all those prints made from an Avid or other digital editing system while the main scenes where direct from the film), and the score was temped. As well as the Elfman appearance the “colonel” mentioned there was a lot of cool use of Goldenthal’s Alien 3 music for Jason Lee’s minions…
Okay, I don’t want to give much away, so I’ll be general, but let me say that it is my opinion this is Kevin Smith’s best. It’s funny as hell, but more importantly it’s definitely smarter than his previous efforts.
The characters develop solidly – most have a very interesting arc, especially Damon, Affleck, and Fiorentino. (Damon and Affleck are great by the way… it surprised – the film rocked, and I’ll get into that, but I don’t know where he got this 2 hours and fifteen minutes crap. The film started almost promptly – at about 7:35pm and I checked my watch at the end to see 10:30pm – and that was without opening opending credits – so unless we saw different cuts, the current cut seems to be 3 hours.
The special effects were incomplete (as well as transitions – all those prints made from an Avid or other digital editing system while the main scenes where direct from the film), and the score was temped. As well as the Elfman appearance the “colonel” mentioned there was a lot of cool use of Goldenthal’s Alien 3 music for Jason Lee’s minions…
Okay, I don’t want to give much away, so I’ll be general, but let me say that it is my opinion this is Kevin Smith’s best. It’s funny as hell, but more importantly it’s definitely smarter than his previous efforts.
The characters develop solidly – most have a very interesting arc, especially Damon, Affleck, and Fiorentino. (Damon and Affleck are great by the way… it surprised me, but Damon gets a chance to do some deadpan humor and is hillarious. Affleck does some heavy stuff and does it much better than in Armagaddeon). Fiorentino has some nice heavy moments as well, especially a great scene with Rickman that I’m sure will be in the final cut b/c it’s a main plot point. They have an earlier scene however that may be cut for length – the film does take a little while to get going…
But when it does, it rocks. This film is just so damned funny! The plot is moving along, and there are some great serious moments, and then out of nowhere Jay says something hillarious and the entire audience explodes. They really were roaring during parts of this movie…
And for you who like Smith’s film references, you’ll love these too: from Fat Albert to Star Wars( as usual), to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade…
Final things to be happy about: A lot of well-worked in Jay and Silent Bob time, and also surprising amounts of gore…
Okay, I think I’ve given away too much already – I enjoyed this film so much I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone. It’s going to be a winner.
One more thing in case you’re interested – Barry Levinson’s newest is called “Liberty Heights” and is about Baltimore in the fifties (kind of his own “growing-up story). It stars mostly “little-knowns…”).