Jersey guys back in action

By Jordan Blum

Due to popular demand, the boys from the Quickstop are back, and although they may be older, they aren’t any wiser.

Clerks was a profane yet intelligent and reflective tale of two aimless guys who questioned their station in life. With the sequel, Kevin Smith has almost solely focused on being dirty and crude — but it’s still funny.

Approximately 10 years have passed since Dante Hicks and Randal Graves were first exposed to the world. As the film opens, Dante arrives for another day of work as manager of the Quickstop convenience store, but something unexpected happens, and as a result both he and his best friend Randal (who runs the video store adjacent to the Quickstop) need to find new jobs.

They end up working in a Burger King type of establishment named Mooby’s. The remainder of the film centers on circumstances that may separate Dante and Randal from each other forever. Dante has second thoughts on his decisions and Randal tries to adjust to a life without his best friend. Can Dante deal with the new responsibilities he has been handed? Will Randal ever grow up? What’s new with Jay and Silent Bob? All this and a definitive argument by the characters over what the best film trilogy ever is will be discussed for those who view Clerks II.

The acting in the movie is sufficient for the characters and events that occur in the film. Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson reprise the roles of Dante and Randal, respectively, with the same craft they possess in the original movie. They are still the same two guys, love them or hate them.

Rosario Dawson does a good job playing their boss and a pawn in the complicated life of Dante. There are also cameos by Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Wanda Sykes and producer Scott Mosier — and they all do a good job. The only noticeably bad actor is Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, who plays Dante’s girlfriend Emma.

There are always two sides to a Kevin Smith film. On one hand, they are all very profane, filled with dirty jokes and sexual innuendos. However, most of them contain great social commentary and intelligent dialogue and discussion. The original Clerks contains both elements.

As for Clerks II, Smith has leaned toward using the technique synonymous with the style of Mallrats and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It contains mostly potty humor and feels a little over-the-top for the sake of shock. Whether this is a good or bad element is subjective to the viewer.

It is an extremely funny movie and a great comedy overall, but it lacks the substance or intellectual thought that Smith has proven to be a master of. While it is worthwhile what these characters are up to, it is also simply not as good as Clerks.

Kevin Smith is a great writer, plain and simple. When he wants to be funny and crude, he pulls it off. When he wants to make a statement and force the audience to think, he succeeds just as well. It is a bit disappointing that he didn’t include more seriousness to the sequel since the original was full of real, honest debate about life. Instead, Smith delivers an update on two icons of pop culture.