Clerks II – Review

Twelve years after the original, and after other film cameos, our boys Dante (O’Halloran) and Randal (Anderson) are back. Has anything changed? Have they matured, at all? Is Dante supposed to be there today? Come find out…

Ah, the good old Quick Stop Groceries. Dante undoes the shutter locks, opens it, and practically shits his britches since the interior is on fire. Uh oh. So, there goes work. He is shattered. Maybe Randal shouldn’t have left the coffee pot on, again.

It’s a new day for the pair, who now find solace in their new jobs at Mooby’s while slangin burgers. After a year there, Dante is readying for a move to Florida with his fiancé Emma (Schwalbach Smith). How will these best buds navigate all these life changes? The Quick Stop remains condemned, and the Egga-Mooby-Muffin is the special of the week.

As the grills are heated for the day, things appear to be business as usual. Even the new and improved Jay (Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) park their asses against the wall outside. Time to sell some pot. As Randal gets into flame wars over the internet, Dante wrestles with the major crush he has on store manager Becky (Dawson), despite his fiancé.

Clerks II brings a ridiculous and outright funny script which goes from harmless fun to full on donkey show, with everything in between. Randal remains crude and dimwitted as Dante remains dorky and aloof. The surrounding characters are quite good too and give the background a lot of life with their own oddball antics. Cast chemistry is there and the sparks of romance are pretty decent as well, despite the rude humor.

Kevin Smith’s joke infused script is mixed with his typical life observations, and mostly realistic quick paced witty dialogue. As the atmosphere gels and the characters let loose, the film hits its stride and doesn’t look back. Rosario Dawson is a perfect add to the mix, and does a fantastic job. Clerks II is a happy time and great sequel. Come join the drama, hear some ridiculous lines, and slang some Egga-Mooby-Muffins and Cow Tipper Burgers.

"Machines can turn into other machines, and it’s not a slight against God!"