Clerks II

Clerks II is a worthy successor to Kevin Smith's 1994 debut, "Clerks.".

The continuing adventures of Dante and Randal speed along with witty dialogue, insightful social commentary, and a touching look at various levels of life, responsibility and most importantly, love.

There's a lot of the requisite dirty jokes, but they enhance the golden center of the flick. I laughed and cried in many of the same moments. But mostly, I watched two characters I had grown up with grow up themselves and face some of the dilemmas I've faced since I went from being a teenage slacker to an adult. I was reminded of a better time in my life, and also reminded to look forward to the future.

Brian O'Halloran knocks Dante out of the gate, with pitch-perfect delivery. I believe that this is still the Dante we knew - just a bit older. Jeff Anderson takes Randal, an already amazing character, and brings him to a new level. Randal becomes even funnier - and more touching. Trevor Fehrman's Elias adds the perfect foil for Randal's brand of mischief. Jay and Silent Bob, the dynamic duo, are also back - proving that Jason Mewes is back in top shape, and really enjoying making you laugh.

~Steve

I've been lucky enough to see this movie twice, and I can't wait to see it again in theaters. I laughed so hard I NEED to see it again to hear what I missed the first two times around, and I even shed a tear or two.

Kevin Smith is in fine form as Dante and Randal return 10 years older. But are they 10 years wiser? After the Quick Stop is unexpectedly shut down, Dante and Randall continue their meager existences at Mooby's, a fast food chain. The movie takes place on the day before Dante is set to leave for broader horizons with his overbearing fiancé, played by the stunning and impressive Jennifer Schwalbach.

Can Dante really survive outside of the comfortable confines of New Jersey? What will Randal do without his hetero-lifemate? And speaking of hetero-lifemates, what are Jay and Silent Bob up to these days? Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson give stellar performances. Dante and Randal are back and in fine form. Trevor Fehrman is an excellent addition to the cast as Elias, new coworker and perfect whipping boy for Randal. I absolutely fell in love with Rosario Dawson as Becky, Mooby manager, several times over. Jay and Silent Bob pop in and out without disappointment. I can't tell you how fantastic it is to see Jason Mewes looking healthy and in top form.

Those looking for the intelligent, wry and vulgar humor of Clerks will find it here. Can you top screwing a dead guy in a bathroom? Oh yes, you can! Those who appreciated the heart of Chasing Amy will find that here too. Only Kevin Smith can pull off that combination. The soundtrack is a must buy as well.

I can't wait to see this movie again.

This movie was everything I hoped it would be. It is especially (or maybe even primarily) for fans of Kevin Smith's "ViewAskewniverse". (And yes, it's in color...mostly.) Also, there was no subtitle...it was titled simply "CLERKS II"...no "the second coming" or "the passion of the CLERKS".

I don't want to hit any spoilers this soon before the movie comes out, but the general idea is that it is a "coming of age" story for the Gen X slackers, who finally in their 30s find themselves not having advanced very far in life, careers, personally or even in general (this is primarily Dante's role, anyway). He decides (due to some things beyond his control) to FINALLY move on, "grow up", get married and leave Leonardo New Jersey and its band of bad influences behind.

Randall, of course, is not so keen at his only friend leaving NJ, is perfectly happy living with his parents and doing as little as possible, and a good part of the movie is spent on Randall challenging Dante's decision and exploration of their friendship.

Now, this may sound like some kind of melodrama, BUT IT ISN'T!!! That basic story is weaved between the plot devices, smart dialogue and gritty or "pushing the limits" humor we come to expect from Kevin Smith.

There's Jay and Silent Bob of course, who have a mini-character arc/growth experience themselves, Jason Lee in with an all new character for one short scene (I think this is his 5th new character in Kevin's ViewAskew franchise), and Ben Affleck with a mercifully brief (one or two line) cameo. Jay and Bob's antics are always a great break from the other action, never an intrusion, even when they are TRYING to intrude, by making asses of themselves (literally) in the background of the primary action.

Plus, a couple of new characters, a crew member at Mooby's (a McDonald's type fast food joint) named Elias who is a very religious, naive counterpoint to Randall's ruthless and jaded personality, and therefore the butt of many jokes/gags. His and Randall's comments regarding "Lords of the Ring" vs "Star Wars" are priceless and vintage Kevin Smith.

Another new character, "Becky", is played by Rosario Dawson, who is the manager at the same restaurant. She plays the part of the good female friend who depends on Dante and challenges Dante to consider if he really wants to settle for a girl who is merely tolerable.

As with the first "CLERKS", this movie pushes the limit of what can be put on film and actually get released in theaters. I hope the more controversial parts make the final cut because I think the shock value that makes you say "NO THEY DIDN'T!" is a valuable part of the equation and expected from this film franchise. Without giving anything away, there are particularly two of the films ongoing jokes, one having to do with bestiality, the other in which some very NON-PC racial terms are used, REPEATEDLY, including the "N-word". No one else has the guts to address these issues and make them funny. 'Cept Kevin Smith.

Finally, the movie really does have a story without being preachy, we're treated to known characters without it being a nostalgia-fest (for instance, Jay and Bob are in their signature places in front of the Quick Stop, but Jay utters not once "Snootchie Bootchies"...but not to fear, he finds a NEW way to crack us up...Bob's discovered a way to keep Jay's mind off of drugs. Fans of Jay will NOT be disappointed.)And the movie goes through an interesting story arc, with surprises and twists resulting in a satisfying ending.

I'm concerned that the more risqué scenes might have to be neutered for ratings' purposes; hopefully not. If so, they will be on the DVD for sure. I can say that even in very conservative KC, the audience laughed A lot, no one walked out during the most "offensive" part, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the edgy wit, smart dialogue as well as the bathroom humor that kept the film at a fun pace.

*EDIT-I've since read that 3 people walked out, which isn't bad from an audience of nearly 500 and with a movie this edgy. I guess I was enjoying myself too much to notice the walkouts!

The movie is also more realistic than some of the other View Askew movies; more like Clerks, obviously. None of the comic book type stunts like in "Mallrats" (Silent Bob's batman utility belt and flying around with a cape) or "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (with the fake lightsaber scenes and flying on the bicycle through a wall and not getting hurt) or all the special effects,mythology and divine interventions of "Dogma" (Alanis Morisette as God appearing at the end to save the world). There are no scenes to groan at and think "ah, right, like that could happen". These characters are real, and real things happen to them, no special abilities, creatures from the underworld or new age messiahs. Just real people that many of us can relate to.

In closing...don't take your grandmother to this movie. It is full of obscene language, profane concepts, drug references, "unnatural" sexual references, etc. Unless you know your girlfriend is hip and not easily offended, test her with a DVD of "CLERKS" first to see if she "gets" the humor.

Otherwise, get a gang of friends, go to this movie and get ready to laugh your freakin' BUTT off!

I saw an early screening of C2 and I must say that the flick is way better than anyone thought it would be. Mr. Smith is back in prime form and I would dare to say that this is quite possibly his best work yet. Granted, this is not a film for everyone but, if you are not offended by purposefully vulgar humor, C2 should be on your "must see" list. Dante (Brian O' Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) are back with their humorous banter as if a whole decade had not gone by since we saw them last. Dante/Brian is practically flawless as the straight man while Randal/Jeff is one of the funniest actors around and their on-screen chemistry is simply wonderful. The new guy Elias (Trevor Fuhrman from "Now You Know") is a clever addition to the group while Rosario Dawson shines her irresistible charm on this little world of dysfunctional employees. The combination is a winning one and, if you add an healthy dose of Jay and Silent Bob to the mix, and even a musical number worthy of "The Blues Brothers", you have quite possibly the best comedy of the summer. This film is enjoyable even if you are not familiar with the original Clerks, but it's even better if you are. To top it all off, Kevin Smith shows us that he has learned from his mistakes and has now mastered the fine art of balancing comedy with truly heartfelt moments, staying clear of the sappiness that sunk "Jersey Girl". At the end of the film there were quite a few shiny eyes in the audience... bravo Mr Smith! You pulled off your best trick yet.

Wow, the return of the clerks, indeed! I went to a pre-screening last night of Clerks II and let me say that it was actually really good. The title, as Mr. Smith explained, has been simplified to undersell the movie so fans and moviegoers in general will be pleasantly surprised when they see it. So here is my contribution to word-of-mouth advertising: if you liked ANYTHING about Clerks I, go see Clerks II. More of the same and then some; and then some more. I have always been hit-or-miss with Kevin Smith and, sadly, the original Clerks was still my favorite of the group. And this movie is his best yet.(In fact, the only way I can appreciate "Mallrats" is to watch it with the audio commentary on.) To me, Mr. Smith is a lot funnier when he's just add-libbing. He said during his Q & A, last night, that they spent more time on this movie in pre-production than all the other movies combined and it shows. I am sure he was kidding but this movie is actually well written, very well acted (Rosario especially; she is the topping that is going to make this movie sell), and just well thought out in general. Good pacing (especially with the sight gags, one after another) and the Decalogue that I've come to appreciate is priceless. Like the argument over which franchise has the better "Return" movie; "Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars". Clerks II has become my favorite movie of the summer and I hope it becomes the sleeper hit of the summer because it is just that good. Oh, and Kevin, if you're reading this, sorry about the title, I am sure you pondered it. Maybe if you hadn't already used "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"?