Review of Clerks II

"Clerks II" is a 2006 comedy directed by Kevin Smith starring Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson. ⚪ All in all, the direct sequel to Kevin Smith's classic independent film serves the audience with the same type of misanthropy, dark humour and layabout philosophy, and even if it fails to reach the same brilliant eloquence and intelligent stupidity the original is known for, the witty humour, the character development and the smart, if repetitive, plot make for a heart-warming revisitation of the lives of the clerks that fans fell in love with in the first place, making it a must see for them. ⚪ The next entry to the "View Askewniverse" (what this franchise is apparently called for real) is the first actual sequel to one of its previous films. While all the others were only connected by the appearances of the fan-favourite layabouts Jay and Silent Bob, this one in fact picks up more than a decade after the first film, showing what happened to the misanthropic clerks and best friends Dante and Randal, and honestly, what this movie showed was the best that Smith could have done with them. After carving out their existences at the Quick Stop convenience store they used to work at since their early twenties, the now thirty-something slackers work at "Mooby's", a fast food restaurant, after some moron accidentally caused their previous workplace to burn down. In fact, the two idlers haven't changed much: Dante still struggles with his life and doesn't really know what he is supposed to do with it, Randal bullies everyone and everything passionately, and Jay and Silent Bob still deal with drugs. However, since it is Dante's last day at the shop before moving to Florida with his over-ambitious fiancée Emma, all they have previously built up is about to come to a close, so Randal tries to end it with a bang ... and everything is getting way out of hand. As a whole, I can really say that I enjoyed this film thoroughly, because after the stupidity "Strike Back" displayed, this film picked up the intelligence aspect again, but let me make it clear at this point: It is by far not as phenomenal as the original "Clerks". Undeniably, the same ingredients are there, but still there is this distinct hilariousness missing that defined every awkward situation of the original. This one here is palpably more adapted to mainstream audiences and includes a lot more perversity and infantility. Like, from Jay dancing almost completely naked, over a discussion about racial slurs to acts of bestiality (I mean, interspecies erotica!), you got everything and even though it is hilarious to watch, it is not the same type of ingeniousness Smith is capable of. Furthermore, the plot pattern is pretty much copied from the original: Randal harasses customers, Jay and Bob (despite not being that prominent) do exactly what they used to do (cannot really categorise what they are actually doing) and Dante messes up his love life by being torn between his pushy fiancée and his boss Becky, someone he apparently loves. In between we get to see the same type of conversations, jokes and philosophy. Does it make it a terrible film? In fact, not in the slightest, because if there is one notable aspect about it, it has got to be the character development. Dante and Randal have worked at their store with no real purpose, and the events of this film make them see what is really important in life: to do what you want to do, not what society is expecting you to do. After many awkward situations, they end up in jail, where they decide to buy and rebuild the Quick Stop convenience store, and honestly, it was so touching I almost felt like crying. Dante finally managed to find true love, and together the two Clerks found their calling in life - to hate and serve customers. Thus, Smith concluded their story perfectly and has shown that everyone will eventually find their way home. In the end, this sequel might be far from being perfect, but I assure you, it is definitely well-made and will bring those who loved the first movie extreme joy. In terms of performance it is average at best (aside from Rosario Dawson, maybe), but what makes it so special is that it almost feels like Smith's love-letter to his former self and his oldest work, eventually showing how much he has grown as a filmmaker. It is intelligent, full of dark humour and perverse and tasteless as per usual. I for one loved it despite its obvious flaws.