Hey
kids! It's Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob
Strike Back, Chasing Amy) back
where we want him, and where he said he'd never return -- the View
Askewniverse. After receiving a less-than-stellar reception for
the only film that didn't fit into the wild and wacky world he had
created, Jersey Girl, Smith did what
all of his fans wanted him to do, crafting a sequel to the film that
first put him on the filmmaking map, Clerks.
This second movie opens with the
Quik Stop in the midst of burning down, taking the RST Video store next
door with it. Without a place to work, two of the clerks of those
stores, Dante and Randal, get a job at a fast food restaurant (first
featured in Dogma), Mooby's. Now
approaching their mid-30s, some major changes in their lives are finally
coming about, as Dante (O'Halloran, Mallrats)
is set to get married and move to Florida to start a new life for
himself. This doesn't sit well with his best friend, Randal
(Anderson, Now You Know), and even seems to be affecting his
friendship with Mooby's manager, Becky (Dawson,
Rent), with whom Dante had a liaison with one night, and despite
her assertion that she doesn't believe in romantic love, she has some
feelings that suggest they share more than a friendship. The film takes place on Dante's
final day at Mooby's, featuring crazy customers, conversations both
heartfelt and banal, and, of course, the return of Jay (Mewes,
RSVP) and Silent Bob (Smith) as the drug
dealers peddling their wares in front of the store.
Although there may be few fans
of Clerks that would claim Clerks II a better film, on a
technical level, it is. Obviously, many reasons stem from the
shooting budget, since the first film was famously shot for about
$27,000, while this higher profile sequel cost $5 million to produce.
With a higher budget, Smith is also able to get recognizable talent to
appear in his film, most notably Rosario Dawson in a prominent role.
The amateur actors in the first film are now established comedians with
better acting skills and funny ad-libs. Smith is also a more
seasoned director and editor, and even manages to put in a few poignant
moments of drama within the framework of this otherwise ribald comedy.
Yes, it's a better film in nearly every way, although most fans would
still claim
the first film funnier. Also, given the limited tools and talent that
Smith had to work with at the time, Clerks was definitely a
unique, remarkable achievement in independent filmmaking, while
Clerks II is just another raunchy comedy.
Unlike many other critics, and
certainly most fans, I don't consider the original Clerks to be a
great movie, although I do think it is a very funny one in parts.
Try as I might to overlook them, there are just too many wince-inducing
moments where either the comedy doesn't work or the direction and acting
show their lack of experience. I can take the film on its own
terms, but I won't disregard my critical instincts just because the film
was made on the cheap by a bunch of nobodies.
Clerks II, despite better
acting, directing, and production values, still has its share of
weaknesses. The writing is definitely still funny, and sometimes
hilarious, but not all of it is. Walk-on appearances by Ben
Affleck (Man About Town) and Jason
Lee (Dreamcatcher) are more of a
novelty for Smith fans than they are humorous, while the
characterizations are, as in many most of Smith's films, idealized in
their respective character archetypes to the point of artifice. There is also
more of a central plot here, and it's a fairly predictable one, as you
know that the flirtations between Dante and Becky are more than passing,
and with him about to leave with ball-busting fiancée Emma (played by
"Mrs. Kevin Smith", Jennifer Schwalbach), turns of events will be in
play to make him rethink his life-changing decision.
At least the plot, such as it
is, is kept out of the way throughout most of the film so that we can
get more of what we pay our hard-earned money to see. We like
funny characters of very different natures interacting with one another
in clever ways. We like dialogue that sparkles whenever discussing
beloved geeky pop culture phenomena like
Lord of the Rings, Star Wars,
"The Transformers", and Silence of the
Lambs. We like the way Smith constantly pushes the limits
of good taste, not afraid to dabble in humor that many people might find
shocking, including exploration of racial epithets, depictions of
bestiality, and an obsession with graphic sexual dialogue. When
Clerks II is funny, it is very funny, and as with the first film,
fans will be quoting from the film's choicest bits for years.
Perhaps the biggest improvement
of Clerks II over the original Clerks comes not through
the addition of better players in the supporting roles, but in the very
impressive acting by the two lead players, Brian O'Halloran and Jeff
Anderson. Clerks had been the first movie for both actors,
and unfortunately it did show at times, but in Clerks II, they
manage to provide a great deal of depth and sincerity in their
roles. There are a few scenes of seriousness Smith has
written in for these once wafer-thin characters, lamenting their
squandered lives and readiness for maturity. These scenes would
give even seasoned actors a bit of a challenge, but O'Halloran and
Anderson nail them cold, offering a touching and telling dimension to
characters we previously considered only vessels for Smith to draw out
funny dialogue. Such serious moments would have seemed out of
place in the first film, and without the talent in front of and behind
the camera, they would have been rejected soundly. In Clerks II,
they are readily embraced as even the funniest of scenes, and represent
the best the movie has to offer.
As funny as I found much of
Clerks II, and of which I recommend to all fans of the first film, I
can't quite go the distance in terms of recommending it without
reservations to those not considered true-blue Kevin Smith fans.
His direction is still spotty, his humor scattershot, his
characterizations not always genuine, and his awkward tendency to throw
in background music just to have it do make for an uneven experience
for those looking for something more than just a few very funny
conversations. As with every other Smith film, to properly
appreciate Clerks II to its fullest extent, one has to overlook
the
inconsistent qualities, both in the level of humor as well as the
execution.
I suppose I am somewhat obliged
to mention that some of this humor will likely offend the easily
offended, especially in scenes where the characters discuss the racist
qualities of the term "porch monkey" and a donkey show scene that will
cross the boundary of good taste for most (which is precisely why Smith
explores it with gusto). As with the first Clerks,
Clerks II is the perfect "water cooler" movie, where you go into
work (or school) the next day, standing around and telling your
coworkers and friends all about it, recounting the funnier and most
raunchy moments with nostalgic relish.
