Clerks II [HD DVD]

Clerks II [HD DVD] Review

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If you've seen "Clerks", there is a decent assumption to be made that you immediately fell in love with Kevin Smith's films soon after and that you have seen them all since, leading up to the inevitable conclusion that you have already seen "Clerks II". And you probably know how much it rocked, despite being worried that it would ruin our memories of "Clerks" as we knew it. So this review is near pointless, right? But what the heck, for those not in the know, here we go.

"Clerks II" takes place ten years in the future, picking up where cynical Dante, (Brian O'Halloran), and his quick-quipped hetero life-mate, Randall, (Jeff Anderson), left off, minus a burned down Quick Stop.

The two are now flipping burgers at the fictional fast food joint, "Mooby's", which Jay, (Jason Mewes), and Silent Bob, (director Kevin Smith), have transformed into their new exterior hang-out. Have weed, will travel.

Becky, (Rosario Dawson), is the manager of Mooby's with whom Dante once had a fling and with whom he is now falling unexpectedly in love. That wouldn't be a problem, if it wasn't Dante's last day at work because he is moving out of state and marrying his girlfriend, Emma, (played by Smith's real-life wife Jennifer Schwalbach). Randall isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of his best friend moving away and wants to express that to him in the most hetero of terms without ruining his big moment.

Elias, (Trevor Fehrman), is Dante and Randall's annoying co-worker. He is pure and virginal with a passion for the Transformers. He whistles on his way in to work. He also has a strong belief in a certain kind of troll, making for perfect, and way too easy, fodder for Randall. One of the strongest and funniest points in the film is when Elias is debating with a customer which trilogy is more epic, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. Randall is appalled by this conversation and, of course, must interject his point of view.

Another great moment in the film is when Dante admits to Becky that he is nervous about his upcoming wedding because he isn't quite sure how to dance. She takes him up on the roof and asks Jay and Silent Bob to pick out a tune for them. After rejecting some death metal, a choreographed dance sequence emerges on the street level as Becky tries to teach Dante to dance on the roof, to the tune of the Jackson 5's hit, "ABC". This harkens back to the hockey-on-the-roof scene from the first "Clerks".

Like all of Smith's movies, the verbiage is strong and in great abundance. Smith understands that the true connection between real people, (which then translates into the characters he creates), is communication, and he develops his films based on the importance of the spoken word. At times, his films can be a little too much for the easily offended, (a bachelor party involving a donkey scene with Elias under the influence of marijuana comes to mind), but at the core of Smith's films is all heart. Humor is the wave on which we ride to the underlying values of his films, the strongest one here being the power of friendship.

Randall and Dante's friendship is showcased and can be appreciated moreso in this film than in the first "Clerks", which it pretty much has to be, considering this is the final hurrah for the View Askew-niverse. Everyone had a ton of fun making this film and that is evidenced by all of their performances.

Dante is the cynic in all of us, pissed off about life and the situations that are thrust at him but he deals with them anyway because he doesn't really see a choice in the matter. Becky is quite the opposite, in that she is bubbly and full of a zest for life. Randall is rude and crude with an obnoxious sense of humor...but he means well. Emma is sweet and a great catch but not who the audience wants to see end up with Dante. Elias is, well, Elias. And Jay and Silent Bob are an excellent source of comic relief when things actually venture into serious territory, (which isn't too often, don't worry).

If you've never seen a Kevin Smith film, you are truly missing out. Anyone with a penchant for Star Wars, crude humor, in-depth dialogue or just a good comedy needs to see at least one of Smith's films. If you want some initiation into his world, this is a great film to start with.

Clerks II [HD DVD] Feature

Clerks II [HD DVD] Overview

Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 04/15/2008 Run time: 88 minutes Rating: Ur

Clerks II [HD DVD] Specifications

Lo and behold, Clerks II defies the odds as a sequel that even the most ardent Clerks fans can be happy about. Twelve years after Kevin Smith turned the independent film world upside-down with his ,000 black-and-white comedy, perpetual slackers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) return for another raucous romp in suburbia, but this time there's no beloved Quick Stop mini-mart to ensure their low-level employment. Now they're aimless 33-year-olds flippin' burgers at Mooby's, a fast-food joint with a cow theme that's "udderly delicious." Dante's engaged to his long-time girlfriend but has unexpectedly fallen in love with Mooby's manager Becky (and since she's played by Rosario Dawson, can you blame him?), and Randal's still holding out for life, liberty, and the pursuit of low ambition. The responsibilities of adulthood are rearing their ugly head, and with Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith) still dealing weed and generally being obnoxious, well... something's gotta give, right? The way Smith has written this long-awaited follow-up, the dilemmas of Dante, Randal, and their ongoing friendship are something that anyone can relate to, and with Dawson lighting up the screen (in a role demanded by producer Harvey Weinstein to boost box-office appeal), the movie's romantic chemistry is surprisingly delightful. Rest assured, also, that Smith (shooting mostly in color this time, on a million budget) hasn't forgotten where he came from: Clerks II is jam-packed with the same lewd, crude humor that made Clerks an indie-film phenomenon, and Smith's good-natured sincerity is still on full display, ensuring that only the most prudish viewers could possibly be offended. For everyone else, this is as enjoyable as any sequel could ever hope to be, with amusing cameos by Smith-movie veterans Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, among others. --Jeff Shannon






*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 05, 2010 00:50:10

Good old Kevin Smith.... - Lika Laruku - Seattle.
I thought I was going to be drowened in family friendly romantic moral comedy BS this christmas, but Comedy Central had the sence to show nice crass comedies, like Clerks II, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Waiting, Still Waiting, & a Denis Leary Christmas Special to drown all of that away.


Clerks II is very good...even has references from J&SBSB. I love how he has a sence of continuity in his movies. His Batman comics are great too. If you liked Clerks 1 & the cartoon, you should get Clerks 2 & the comics.

Not even nearly the same - Jarod Whiting - New Orleans, LA
Watching this movie was a very frustrating experience for me. Everyone changes over time, and filmmakers are no exception; just look at George Lucas. It's clear that Kevin Smith is no longer the same man who made the first Clerks. This movie has the same actors, but it's completely lost the style and, more importantly, the spirit of the first movie.

The most important thing about Clerks is that the main characters didn't DO anything. They sat around and talked, while things happened to them. That's what made it such a revolutionary movie; instead of heroes who forge their own path through life, it was about people who go with the flow and wish life would just leave them alone. And this sequel gives up that amazing feeling for the sake of comedy. A donkey show and a white man "taking back" black racial slurs may be funny, but funny just doesn't cut it. This movie is just as good as any other dumb comedy made in the last decade. And that's a far cry from what I expected of it.

Aside from a couple heartwarming scenes, mainly the rooftop dance scene, this movie is nothing but cheap laughs and tired shtick Kevin Smith's been using for years now. Please, go ahead and skip it, you aren't missing much.

F*%@!ng Hilarious - J. Anderson - Santa Barbara, CA
If you enjoyed 'Clerks I' you will certainly enjoy 'Clerks II'. The latter film is way funnier than the original but equally offensive. I found it used for a couple dollars plus shipping and am thankful I ordered it. I've already watched it a few times...seriously a laugh riot!