Juvenile, self-indulgent, shambolic: say what you like about Kevin Smith’s latest (and many will say all of the above), but there’s no denying it’s damn funny.

For the uninitiated, the chubby writer-director here gives his favourite comedy creations – stoner foul-mouth Jay (Jason Mewes) and his “hetero life mate” Silent Bob (Smith himself) – their very own movie. In it, the boneheaded double-act find out that Miramax are shooting a major film based on comic-book heroes they inspired – and they’re being stuffed on the cash. The lads embark on a Jersey-to-Hollywood road trip to wreck the flick, running into the likes of Seann William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth, and Chris Rock en route.

Displaying no more finesse than Smith’s last outing Dogma, JASBSB makes you wonder if Smith just belched up everything that was on his mind one day, and started shooting the next. The plot veers up and down and from side to side, and the tone careers from gut-busting hilarity to clumsy tedium. But while the hirsute helmer has little to say beyond “Aren’t internet movie geeks annoying?”, he should be thoroughly backslapped for coaxing a succession of big names to join in the fun. Best of all are Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who mercilessly rip the piss out of themselves and each other. After watching this, you’ll be praying that they make Good Will Hunting 2.

Matt Mueller / * * * (out of 5 stars)