Movie Review: Clerks II (2006)
Sequels are a tricky business -- even moreso when the original film is regarded as a classic, and even more than that when a great period of time has passed since the original. Kevin Smith's debut film, Clerks, came out in 1994 and became a sort of signature film for people in their early 20s who couldn't seem to find a direction in their lives. Now, 12 years later, Clerks II is that rare sequel that may not only be as good as the original -- it may well surpass it.
Twelve years later, legendary slackers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) have moved on from their jobs at the Quick Stop convenience store and RST Video -- but only because the building burned down. Their move is a lateral one, working at a Mooby's fast food joint with a sheltered nerd (played by Trevor Fehrman) and a cute but equally aimless manager (Rosario Dawson). Dante's life is finally getting in gear, though -- he's engaged and planning to move to Florida to take a job provided by his soon-to-be in-laws. Like the first film, this one (mostly) takes place in the course of a single day -- Dante's last day at Mooby's, and a day that (unlike the first film) may change his life forever.
Writer/director Smith has returned to the well of bawdy humor and pop culture satire that made him famous in the 90s. Like his best efforts, though, the film transcends the blue comedy to make a real statement. The original movie, to a large degree, was an opportunity to vent the frustrations of a young man in a dead-end job. This movie is about a man who's a little older and still doesn't have control of his life. What this movie does that the original didn't, though, is show real growth in the characters. Dante and Randal, by the end of Clerks, were still pretty much the same guys they were when the movie began. This time, by the end they're different. The ending is surprising, uplifting and incredibly appropriate for these two characters.
Rosario Dawson's character, Becky, adds a much-needed counterpoint to the boys. The original movie showed Dante wrestling between two girls at a different station in life than himself, pulling him in different directions -- a characteristic echoed in his fiance this time. Dawson, by contrast, is in the same station as the boys -- willing to let Dante dictate his own future and able to match Randal wisecrack for wisecrack. Smith famously draws from the same pool of actors again and again in his movies -- this is Dawson's first film with View Askew, but she would be a welcome addition to the troupe.
Smith and his longtime sidekick Jason Mewes return, again, as Jay and Silent Bob, but even these two have grown a bit. Jay has cleaned up his act and found guideance he's never had before. Not that this prevents him from his usual antics, but the new facet makes him even more amusing. Silent Bob is... well, he's still Silent Bob.
This movie was just plain funny -- laugh-out-loud funny. Oh, it won't appeal to everyone -- in fact, it will offend quite a few. But for those in on the joke, it's better than just funny, it's poignant. It's as much a message as the first film, but a more substantive one. It's a movie for anyone who feels like their life hasn't even started yet, even if it should have long ago. It may not make a fortune, but it will mean something to the fans that Smith has cultivated over the past decade, and if he decides in the future to go back to the well again... well, give the man a bucket and a rope.
Twelve years later, legendary slackers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) have moved on from their jobs at the Quick Stop convenience store and RST Video -- but only because the building burned down. Their move is a lateral one, working at a Mooby's fast food joint with a sheltered nerd (played by Trevor Fehrman) and a cute but equally aimless manager (Rosario Dawson). Dante's life is finally getting in gear, though -- he's engaged and planning to move to Florida to take a job provided by his soon-to-be in-laws. Like the first film, this one (mostly) takes place in the course of a single day -- Dante's last day at Mooby's, and a day that (unlike the first film) may change his life forever.
Writer/director Smith has returned to the well of bawdy humor and pop culture satire that made him famous in the 90s. Like his best efforts, though, the film transcends the blue comedy to make a real statement. The original movie, to a large degree, was an opportunity to vent the frustrations of a young man in a dead-end job. This movie is about a man who's a little older and still doesn't have control of his life. What this movie does that the original didn't, though, is show real growth in the characters. Dante and Randal, by the end of Clerks, were still pretty much the same guys they were when the movie began. This time, by the end they're different. The ending is surprising, uplifting and incredibly appropriate for these two characters.
Rosario Dawson's character, Becky, adds a much-needed counterpoint to the boys. The original movie showed Dante wrestling between two girls at a different station in life than himself, pulling him in different directions -- a characteristic echoed in his fiance this time. Dawson, by contrast, is in the same station as the boys -- willing to let Dante dictate his own future and able to match Randal wisecrack for wisecrack. Smith famously draws from the same pool of actors again and again in his movies -- this is Dawson's first film with View Askew, but she would be a welcome addition to the troupe.
Smith and his longtime sidekick Jason Mewes return, again, as Jay and Silent Bob, but even these two have grown a bit. Jay has cleaned up his act and found guideance he's never had before. Not that this prevents him from his usual antics, but the new facet makes him even more amusing. Silent Bob is... well, he's still Silent Bob.
This movie was just plain funny -- laugh-out-loud funny. Oh, it won't appeal to everyone -- in fact, it will offend quite a few. But for those in on the joke, it's better than just funny, it's poignant. It's as much a message as the first film, but a more substantive one. It's a movie for anyone who feels like their life hasn't even started yet, even if it should have long ago. It may not make a fortune, but it will mean something to the fans that Smith has cultivated over the past decade, and if he decides in the future to go back to the well again... well, give the man a bucket and a rope.