Clerks II
I am not exactly sure what I expected out of Clerks II, the sequel to one of my favorite movies. Whatever those expectations were, it fell a little short. But, I am still glad director Kevin Smith decided to make the movie and provide a much-needed second-look into the lives of Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson).
Unlike the first Clerks, the sequel actually has a plot (imagine that)! Also, the sequel is shot in color (with a genius transition to color in the beginning akin to The Wizard Of Oz). Clerks II earns it’s R rating with explicit language and sexual references. In other words, don’t bring your kid to see this with you—like some people in the theater I saw this in decided to do.
The basic plot, which is no secret from the trailer, is that the Quick Stop burns down and Dante and Randal start working in the fast-food industry at Mooby’s. Their manager is Becky (Rosario Dawson) and their younger Hobbit-loving co-worker is Elias (Trevor Fehrman). Jay and Silent Bob make a triumphant return outside Mooby’s. And, as usual, Ben Affleck makes a guest appearance.
It is hard to imagine someone seeing this movie without seeing the original Clerks, but I suppose it is possible. There are quite a few references to the original movie, but there are a lot of new characters that gives this movie the ability to stand on its own.
For me, I was a little put off by the some of the predictable slapstick comedy. But, I found myself laughing more as the movie progressed. The acting was definitely a huge step up from the original, and Kevin Smith didn’t go too crazy with his presumably much larger budget. Overall, I was pleased with Clerks II and I think the doors are open for Clerks III in another 10 years.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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