Ah, the much anticipated first non-ViewAskewniverse Kevin Smith flick. This one has been shit on a lot by folks I know that saw it before the SXSW screening last weekend. After seeing the movie, I have to wonder what movie they were watching… They knew that this wasn’t a snoochie-boochies Smith flick, right? They weren’t surprised when Jay and Silent Bob didn’t show up, were they? It seems like they were.

JERSEY GIRL is a sweet movie with some smart as hell writing. It is a PG-13 romantic comedy, so I don’t know where all this surprised hatred is coming from. Affleck does a good job… I didn’t have any trouble believing his love of Jennifer Lopez at the beginning of the film or his affection for his daughter later on. George Carlin is given a juicy role as Affleck’s father and grandfather to Gertie. I’ve always loved Carlin and he steps up to the plate in this film. Liv Tyler is drool-worthy here. She glows and makes it easy to fall for her free spirit and kind heart.

The movie is sticky sweet in spots, so if you’re the kind of super-macho geek that can’t be troubled with such gooey things as the love between a man and a woman or father and son or father and daughter, then I guess Smith didn’t make this one for you. For the rest of us, he made a great mainstream romantic comedy.

The film is well written, well performed and has that trademark Smith freshness to it. The characters jump, the situations are at times hilarious (the SWEENY TODD sequence in particular) and he found an adorable child actor, Raquel Castro. In the scheme of things, I think JERSEY GIRL will be a modest success, but will be lost in the shuffle of time. Smith will always be known for his Jay and Silent Bob stuff and this film is a little too mainstream to be remembered by the masses for very long, even if it is well done.

I’m glad to see Smith stretch outside of the ViewAskewniverse, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. But it’s always good to change things up a bit. I can’t wait to see him test himself on GREEN HORNET. I expect nothing but greatness!

At the screening Smith confirmed that after GREEN HORNET and FLETCH, he may be returning to Jay and Silent Bob’s world. He originally stopped those films for two reasons: One, he was enabling Jason Mewes’ out of control drug abuse and Two, he wanted to try something else. Mewes has been on the wagon for a full year now and if he stays that way, then Smith will certainly bring about the triumphant return of Jay and Silent Bob!