Movie Info
Movie Name: Clerks II
Studio: View Askew Productions
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): July 21, 2006
MPAA Rating: R
Butch & Sundance ride again!
Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) are out of work when the Quick Stop burns down. Now, Dante and Randal are working at Mooby’s, and Dante is planning on going to Florida with his fiancée Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach). Dante and Randal’s life is back to normal, but an announcement from Dante’s manager Becky (Rosario Dawson) could change Dante’s big plans.
Written and directed by Kevin Smith, Clerks II is a follow-up to Smith’s breakout 1994 hit Clerks. The movie was originally entitled The Passion of the Clerks but just became Clerks II. The movie was released to positive if not mixed reviews.
I liked Clerks when it was released. It was part of the big post-Pulp Fiction edgy indie-boom. I never thought the acting was very good and a lot of it was childish but it was fun. I felt Smith peaked with Chasing Amy and was in the downslide ever since. Clerks II however does have some merit. It is a good throwback to the original film.
What’s he gonna do to the donkey?
The movie largely does feel like a bigger budget continuation to the original film. There isn’t much story and it is loaded with a lot jokes which feel more like stand-up than part of an actual plot. Despite this, it feels like more of a progression or a recognition by Smith of what he does well. I still would like a little more balance and maturity to the script to unlock the movie’s full potential and to evolve it past a raunchy comedy.
The acting however is still a problem. Both Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson haven’t improved on this front. It get really rough near then end when both of them are forced to really “act” (like Anderson’s impassionate “Best Friend” speech). The same is true of Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, but it is more toned down than their appearances in things like Mallrats, Dogma, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. Rosario Dawson is a nice edition as Becky and Smith’s wife Jennifer Schwalbach isn’t bad as the fiancée foil. Trevor Fehrman is a bit acting challenged as well but needed in the script. The movie features cameos by Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Wanda Sikes, Ethan Suplee and Earthquake.
Jay does his best Silence of the Lambs…
I do like some of the visuals. I think it loses a bit by not being in black & white like the original. Things like the donkey show and Jay’s Silence of the Lambs Buffalo Bill’s dance were gross-out enough to please. I particularly like the ode to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with the “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” sequence and the musical number.
Clerks II is uneven but better than some of Smith’s efforts. If you liked Clerks you might like to checkout Clerks II. Watching the movie you might realize you’ve outgrown Kevin Smith and his style or you might remember what you liked about him to begin with. Smith has plans for a future release of Clerks III.
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