I saw Clerks 2 last weekend and forgot to post a review. My apologies.
I was stoked for this flick but not totally geeked out like I would have been about five years ago. Also, I wasn't sure what kind of Smith movie we were going to get. Was it going to be a dialogue driven character study like Clerks or Chasing Amy? Or was it going to be a zany dick and fart joke fest like Mallrats or Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back? Not that I didn't like the later two movies, they were just different. But to be honest, I do prefer the former.
I digress.
For those that don't know, Clerks 2 follows the exploits of two friends (Randall & Dante) that work at a neighboring convenient store and video store respectively. When the building burns down they are forced to find gainful employment and end up at Mooby's, a McDonald's-ish fast food joint where they wallow through the drudgery of their lives. The two lovable drug dealers by the name of Jay & Silent Bob have adopted Mooby's as their new place to conduct business.
We find Dante is now engaged and is enjoying his last day in New Jersey as he and his wife-to-be are moving to Florida. Randall is still, well, Randall.
Throughout the day Dante struggles with his decision to leave his life in Jersey, his friends... and more? Meanwhile Randall comes to grips with his best friend leaving and dispenses his usual pop-culture references and sexually deviant quips and comments. Also in the frey is the geeky, timid co-worker Elias, the go-to whipping boy of Randall. Becky, the boss, has become great friends with Dante and while wishing him the best, doesn't want him to go.
The plot was easy enough and the little universe director Kevin Smith has created works perfectly and enables these characters to shine. I don't like comparing sequels to their predecessors, but in this case I have to. This time around Clerks, aside from being in color, is far more character driven. Not to fret, sprinkled throughout the flick is plenty of hilarious fan-boy banter and witty dialogue to quench the thirst of salivating Smith fans. But Clerks 2 is almost 'nicer', in a way, when it comes to the relationships of these people. You can see the bond between Randall and Dante, not just a mutual disdain for 'a-hole' customers who they used to beguile and some times spit at. Of course in that same vibe, Clerks 2 has managed to outdo itself when it comes to over-the-top crudeness, and to be honest, it was hilarious.
There isn't really much I disliked about the movie. Any lingering preconception I had going in was quashed immediately. You could suspend disbelief and sit back and watch these characters. I left feeling it made sense to do this movie ten years later. It was a worthy sequel.
I do have a few gripes, however. Without giving away too much, let's just say sometimes you can or can't have too much of a happy ending. Second, I feel that a lot of what made the first Clerks special was lost in this sequel. The low-budget randomness from a first time director was gone. But Smith, like his creation, is more mature, and what we have is a better movie for it.
HECK summary basically sums up my summation of... the... sum.... oh shut up, I just liked it, okay? It was funny. Sure, really crude in a few spots, especially when it came to the donkey scenes, but they were well done and pretty funny.
Funniest moment? Pillowpants, the p**** troll. Hands down.
"I'm for it so we can put Nuclear power plants up there, and then beam the power back to earth on a laser beam." ~ Whidden
07-24-2006 08:45 PM
