Clerks 2 came out last summer and it was a great movie. A few people I knew wanted to see it but had never seen the first Clerks installment and I recall telling them that it didn’t matter. After all the movie really is very good and why not spread the word that another Clerks movie was out there to be seen, discussed, laughed and enjoyed! Plus I had already seen it and while the two main characters returned-Dante and Randall- too continue their roles as best friends, debaters of the mundane and apparently lacking in ambition-having seen the first film didn’t appear to be a necessity for someone to enjoy the second.
There is conflict in the film from the very start-as the Quick-Stop is burning down. If the presentation of the store having been burned down requiring our heros to locate new jobs-that continue to be ever so lucrative in their financial as well as mental pay off-wasn’t enough of a conflict, Dante is planning on leaving the store, his best friend and the state [ok it is Jersey so I can’t blame him there] for a new life. He is planning on getting married, moving to Florida and becoming the manager of a car wash-compliments of his soon to be father-in-law. Smith’s movies, like life, never work out to anyone’s advantage so you can bet that Dante’s not leaving jersey any time soon.
There are so many good scenes in this film that it’s difficult to think of where to start-let alone what not to include. Randal’s debate with a customer over Star Wars versus LOTR is absolutely hilarious! I’m fortunate I went in the middle of the week and there were few people in the audience that I may have bothered with my laughing that day. The conversations that Dante and Randall have are what you remember having with your best friend when you were in high school. The scene with Becky and Dante on the roof of Mooby’s dancing while Jay is doing his dancing/kung fu fighting routine on the street below is funny as well as romantic. The scene with Jay-Jason Mewes-dancing his androgynous metro sexual dance was somewhat unnerving, but then later in the film we have a cameo by a donkey and his trainer and they are not rehearsing their state fair show! There are also cameo appearances by Jason Lee, and Ben Affleck.
Over all this is another fine film created by Kevin Smith. You might have expected him to let his creative juices run dry for this updated version of Clerks with his past success of Clerks and Chasing Amy but he does not disappoint. If you enjoyed any of Kevin Smith’s previous films then this is a must see movie!
Clerks II (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424345/
Clerks
http://viewaskew.com/clerks/
Thursday October 18th, 2007
