Clerks 2 Directed by Kevin Smith With Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes Rated R Now playing
Grade: A-
It's been 12 years since we first met Jay and Silent Bob in Kevin Smith's excellent debut "Clerks." The pair, played by Jason Mewes and Smith himself, has loitered in every one of his films since then except the most recent and awful "Jersey Girl." Now they come full circle to appear in "Clerks 2," the writer/director's first direct sequel.
Astoundingly, their vulgar shenanigans haven't gotten old yet.
Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson return as store clerks Dante Hicks and Randal Graves. But when a fire destroys their Quick Stop convenience store, the pair is forced to get new jobs at Mooby's, a McDonald's-like fast food joint. Though they've visibly aged in 12 years, the pair carries the same attitudes on life they always have. Dante is cautious and likes to take the easy route, while Randal would rather be watching porn than serving the customers.
Oh, and the somewhat stocky, goatee-sporting Dante somehow has two chicks fighting over him again.
Rounding out the cast is Rosario Dawson as Dante's and Randal's cute boss Becky and Trevor Fehrman as geeky teenage coworker Elias. Dawson is light and lively in the role of Becky, while Elias' innocence and boundless enthusiasm for "Transformers" and "Lord of the Rings" is the perfect foil to sex-obsessed "Star Wars" fan Randal.
Kevin Smith's maturation as a filmmaker shows in "Clerks 2." While the first film looked and felt like a film school project, the sequel feels like a studio release. The most notable change is the visual presentation, which is now in full color and completely lacking in grain. The cast is bigger, and most of the customers looking for a burger at Mooby's are celebrity cameos.
But that's not to say this sequel is to the 1994 original like Weezer's "Make Believe" was to their 1994 debut. No, despite having a higher budget, "Clerks 2" is rooted on a firm foundation of smart writing and players who are just as good as they always were.
Unlike most comedies that base the majority of laughs on vulgarity, "Clerks 2" delves deeper into its characters' emotions. A lot of the laughs (and there are quite a few) are of the gross-out variety, yes, but there's also a sweet romance and a lesson about the importance of friendship. Go figure.
Though "Clerks 2" stands well enough on its own, the film makes several allusions to the original. It's not mandatory, but renting the original before heading out to the theatre is sure to make the experience more enjoyable.
"Clerks 2" is a worthy successor to Kevin Smith's cult classic. It's also one of this summer's funniest movies.
