Clerks II (2006)

Clerks 2 is a surprisingly emotional film. I was touched by it and was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong- laughs abound and the characters are hilarious but the film also has a heart. Clerks 2 is a sequel to the first film of Kevin Smith-Clerks which made him a household name, at least in Hollywood. It is about two disgruntled employees who work as clerks. Though it isn't necessary to watch the first film but this film will want you to go see that one too. This is great writing.

Clerks II is all that Clerks. aimed to be but couldn't achieve because of lack of funds or experience. This time around writer-director Kevin Smith had what he needed, and it unfolded the way he wanted it to. It has the same feel as it predecessor, but smoother.The acting is better, in some case because they gained experience —Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith — and in others, because they're seasoned actors, like Rosario Dawson, who plays the wisest and nicest character of the bunch. The sets, camera shots, editing, and images quality are much better.The diatribes are different, but have the same vibe. They're excellent, and the points well made, as usual. You'll laugh at the various antics, and appreciate the underlying romance much more, since it has a more prevalent share of the story.The only thing negative I have to say is that the ending is a bit Hollywoodish. but it's inline with the story, and is kind of the logical conclusion, so it's difficult to hold it against Smith.

I haven't seen the first movie, but if it resembles the second one in the least (which it obviously does, because they share the same title), then I never want to see it. As far as I am concerned, this has to be one of the most tasteless, worthless and unintelligent comedies/movies I have ever seen. I like a good mindless comedy as much anyone else, but this just left me feeling like the lowest scum of society after watching it. I saw the rating and thought it would be a great comedy. At the end of the film I was not only convinced of its worthlessness, but also of the public's deteriorating tastes. All in all, the acting was pretty lame, the scenery was nil, the romance was pathetic, the dialogues brainless and corny (some corny can be good, but this was far below the bar for bad) and as I mentioned before, as a comedy, it was crap. Worse than crap. I'd rather stare at steaming crap than watch this again.

Clerks was Kevin Smith's first film and his only film to date that was ever fully artistically realized. While it would be a little hasty to call it an outright masterpiece, Clerks certainly had the makings of a great work of art. Beyond being fresh and in many ways clever, it wholly embodied the era and attitude from which it sprang with its brilliant portrayal of a directionless generation and the disillusionment that has become such a vivid trademark of the American 1990s.Some of that creative genius is still visible in Smith's more recent work, but only in brief rays shining through the heavy cosmetics of the mainstream movie industry. Clerks II is certainly the best example. Some of what made the original great is present here, namely the character banter, wandering plot, and grotesque humor. Viewers familiar with Smith's other work will see many of the staples in Clerks II, and many of them done in decent enough fashion. But much else has been lost to an obvious ploy for mass appeal, and Clerks II is veritably dripping with a weird mainstream conformity. The most obvious signs are of course born of the discrepancy in production budget ( ~$30 thousand vs. ~$5 million) and all the snazzy camera tricks and filming doodads that come with it. These are also the most forgivable, as you can hardly blame Smith for utilizing the greater resources available to him even if cheapness was a big part of the original's charm. Still, it's hard not to roll your eyes when a full dance crew emerges from nowhere and begins undulating to the Jackson 5's "ABC" midway through the movie. While such a tactic might be cutesy or feel-good in another film, this particular film has some very different shoes to fill. Those who cherish the original will find many, many other problems with the sequel that fall into this same vein.To clarify, Clerks II is not a bad movie. It's just a bad sequel in that it sacrifices the charming idiosyncrasies of its progenitor for a disappointingly generic take on its characters. A simple name change would have improved it dramatically, at least helping to pull it out from under Clerks' shadow. But again, it does not appear that Smith was interested in creating a great film, just one that would sell and keep his catalog moving. To this end namedropping is a strategic move, albeit one that is bound to alienate some fans. In any case, it doesn't have to tarnish the greatness of the original if we refuse to let it, and in the meantime we can merely cross our fingers and hope to avoid the misfortune of an even worse Clerks III.