clerks II

Clerks II

A Fitting and Funny Sequel

Can a sequel be just as good as or even better than the original? “Clerks II” proves that the answer is a most definite yes!

The movie picks up ten years after “Clerks” (1994) where Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) are still working at the Quick Stop convenience / video rental store in New Jersey. Dante arrives at work one morning and finds the place ablaze (presumably because Randal left the coffee pot on). With the Quick Stop indefinitely closed, the pair ventures into the corporate world by working at the fast food restaurant Mooby’s.

There are plenty of things happening at Mooby’s. Dante, who’s come to the conclusion that he doesn’t want to be a thirty-something year-old man working at a fast food joint, is engaged to the overzealous Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach; real life wife of director, writer and Silent Bob, Kevin Smith). We’re also introduced to Becky (Rosario Dawson), the manager of Mooby’s and the woman who has a special friendship with Dante. Could it be love? There’s also the somewhat naive Elias (Trevor Fehrman), the co-worker that Randal likes to torture, who’s heavily into The Transformers, Lord of the Rings and religion. And we can’t forget about Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob who are now hanging around outside of Mooby’s. The duo has just gone through rehab, found religion and are still selling pot!

In “Clerks II”, it’s Dante’s last day working at Mooby’s. He’s set to move to Florida with Emma where they’ll live with her parents and he’ll have a job at the family’s Car Wash. (She’s also set a wedding date without telling Dante first.) While determined to get through the day relatively unscathed, (a hard task to do when there are customers and Randal), Dante learns that Becky is pregnant, the result of an after-work encounter the two had a few weeks earlier. Will this be the one thing that ruins Dante’s plans?

Meanwhile, Randal, has been on a tear. Not only has he been harassing Elias but there are plenty of customers to contend with as well. Fortunately, he’s completely dedicated to one thing: sending Dante off with a “BANG” by throwing him a party with an extra special surprise guest!

While some sequels are hit or miss when compared to the original movie, “Clerks II” is a definite hit! There are plenty of reasons to like this movie.

“Clerks II”, like the first movie, is dialogue driven. The characters are all relatable, funny and likeable and each one (whether in a major role or cameo appearance) steals the scene in his or her own way. Randal, was particularly funny in several scenes including: Elias’ discussion about “Pillow Pants” and the argument with Elias and a customer (played by Kevin Weisman) over which was better, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Randal’s argument? In addition to a funny interpretation of the Rings movies, he quips “...there is only one “return” and it's not of the king, it's of the Jedi.” Jay and Silent Bob aren’t to be outdone either. Besides appearing with bows in their hair during a dance sequence, there’s also an homage to Silence of the Lambs when Jay imitates the “Buffalo Bill” dance to “Goodbye, Horses” (one can hope that the dance, in its entirety will make it to DVD).

The cameos with Ben Affleck and Wanda Sykes were funny as well as Jason Lee who played an old school “chum” of Randal’s and Dante’s who was renowned for one infamous event. Lee’s “My Name is Earl” co-star Ethan Suplee also made an appearance with one of Jay and Silent Bob’s clients!

While the movie has an ample supply of comedy, there is still a human element to the story. Despite things that he might say or do, we realize that Randal values the friendship he has with Dante and would be lost without him. Dante also realizes that it’s time to make decisions for himself.

The only thing I would have liked to have seen differently in the movie is maybe a shorter dance sequence. I also thought the “inter species” routine could have been shorter. While funny in some parts, it seemed to drag on a little long. But these are only very minor things!

“Clerks II” is one of the funniest films from Kevin Smith. Is it for everyone? No. A few moviegoers will definitely be turned off by some of the crude humor. But to see the continuing adventures of Dante, Randal, Jay and Silent Bob, it’s a definite must-see. I also recommend staying through the credits. There’s some funny stuff written in there as well as a Jay and Silent Bob cartoon at the end!

This movie is rated R by the MPAA due to pervasive sexual / crude content including aberrant sexuality, strong language and some drug material.

Runtime: 97 minutes

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