You can take the clerks out of the Quick Stop, but you just can't take the Quick Stop out of the clerks as Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) prove in this long-awaited sequel to Kevin Smith's breakthrough comedy. Years after we last saw them, Dante is still toiling behind the counter at a New Jersey convenience store and Randall is still annoying customers at the video shop next door -- or at least they are until a fire burns down the strip mall, forcing Dante and Randall to
look for work. Times are tough, and the guys find themselves embracing the ultimate indignity as they take jobs at Mooby's, a fast-food outlet where the burgers are advertised as "udderly delicious." While Randall's snarky attitude toward the public remains unchanged, Dante is trying to make the best of the situation as he plans to marry his fiancée, Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith), and move to Florida. However, Dante's plans are complicated when he falls for Becky (Rosario Dawson), a funny and tart-tongued woman who happens to be his boss at Mooby's. Lurking about in the background, as always, are Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith), who for good or ill have changed even less with the passage of time than Dante and Randall. Clerks II also features Wanda Sykes, Ethan Suplee, and Trevor Fehrman, with cameo appearances from Kevin Smith regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
It has a more authentic everyday feel than a lot of movies. But it's also very talky and philosophical for a comedy, which would be okay, except the philosophy is kind of shallow.
Smith sadly de-evolves much of the groundwork he laid for "Clerks" and its characters and then, like a game of Jenga, smashes it all down by basically setting them up as typical Hollywood concepts...
Smith's attempt to get all introspective about growing up yields a plot that is at core rather mawkish and cliched - but when it comes to writing hilariously juvenile lines, he still has the old magic.
Deliberately disgusting, scatological, profane and vulgar, which makes this critic a bit embarrassed to admit that he found himself frequently laughing out loud at such offensive and obscene material.
Deliberately disgusting, scatological, profane and vulgar, which makes this critic a bit embarrassed to admit that he found himself frequently laughing out loud at such offensive and obscene material.
There's little point in trying to convince Smith acolytes that quantity doesn't mean quality, but the advertised six hours of extras aren't half as fun as those on the Clerks 10th anniversary edition.
Smith's last great film (apparently) exceeded my expectations all around. Though not nearly as smart or witty as the original, it makes up for that with crude but hilarious dialogue and some great performances. The only problem is that like many films in the comedy drama, the hilarity wears off by the last 20 to 30
minutes.
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