Jake and I went to see Clerks 2 tonight. I’ve been looking forward to this movie for quite a while. Kevin Smith is one of my all-time favorite directors and I was anxious for it to come out.
The reviews on it have been really positive and it received an 8-minute standing ovation at Cannes, but it isn’t going to break any box-office records.
As far as the movie goes, it was pretty much what I expected. It was pretty over-the-top offensive, but it was in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge kind of way. Smith canonizes his uber-slackers Dante and Randal who have moved on from the Quick Stop to a Mooby’s managed by the new-to-the-Askewniverse Rosario Dawson. Dante is about to leave the Garden State for Florida to get married to his fiancee (played very well by Smith’s wife, Jennifer). Randal is up to his old antics and Jay and Silent Bob have moved from the Quick Stop to outside the Mooby’s. They provide some great physical comic relief in between Randal’s biting diatribes and Dante’s constant complaining.
Although in old age, the clerks have aged a little, they haven’t lost their edge. While Clerks 2 certainly has a lot more flash (and color!) than the original, it still manages to maintain its likability as a small indie flick. You have to appreciate people like the Weinsteins who give filmmakers like Smith millions of dollars and says, “make the movie that you want” which is exactly what Smith did.
One of the things I really liked about this movie was the new additions to the cast, Dawson as Becky and Trevor Fuhrman as Elias. Dawson seems completely at ease in Dante and Randal’s raunchy world, participating in their conversations. Fuhrman plays Elias, the ultra-Christian, Lord-of-the-Rings-loving co-worker who takes a lot of Randal’s verbal abuse. He’s really funny.
Overall, the movie is a statement about accepting your true self, no matter what that might be. I enjoyed it a lot…better than the first one, but I think that’s because it makes more sense to me these days and I can relate to characters who are searching for some greater purpose. For that, I give it two thumbs up with the disclaimer that you realize before seeing it that the language and content are more colorful than most movies. Just keep that in mind before seeing it.
I’ll let you take this one for the team. I remember watching the first Clerks with Duke Matya, at a Wed. night movie date at GC, and being absolutely miserable throughout the whole thing. I hated it to the nth degree. So I’m glad you enjoyed the 2nd Clerks, and I’ll just say I’ll never being finding out for myself what it’s like. :)
I didn\’t even see clerks 1 – but I\’ve been told by a few people how good it is and that I\’d like it.
I\’m really just posting to let everyone who reads your blog know what an assume job you did yesterday. June and I have discussed your talk in great detail and we both agree that your delivered a large dose of hope yesterday. thanks again.
I actually bought the Clerks tenth anniversary DVD set a couple of years ago and watched the original Cannes cut. It was rough but probably the best way to view the film, especially when they killed off Dante at the end. The first time I watched Clerks was back in high school at vo-tech. We were supposed to be watching these videos about Kirchoff’s Law or something and one of my friends had brought the movie in to watch instead. It was soooo filthy I thought for sure I was going straight to hell for just watching it. However, after seeing some of the movies that have come out since then and growing up a little more, the original really isn’t that bad of a movie.
The cross-dressing clown animation still freaks me out a little, though. I hate clowns, anyway.
I’ve got to agree with Brad. You did a fantastic job on Sunday. I know it’s bad to say this, but if you spoke every Sunday I would be there every Sunday. I love hearing you speak at church. You keep me interested. I am never sidetracked like I am with some of the older people who speak. And I honestly don’t think it is because you are my brother. You have a younger approach towards things and it keeps everyone’s eyes and ears open. Plus your messages are very-well thought out and meaningful. You speak from personal experience and about the things that move you. I’ve never really said that before, but I just felt like I should. Keep it up, and I’ll keep coming.
oh yeah, clerks 2 was pretty good. not sure if it was better than the first, but it was good. the language and material are crude and a little out there for adults, but what kevin smith movie isn’t?
Jersey Girl, maybe?
That is why you went with Shane and I didn’t Jake. You boys go and knock yourself out with crude language – I am good staying home with something a little more PG.
My appologies to Sarah Allen…if I had a dollar for all the Graceland ladies who had a a bad Wednesday night movie date with me Bono would be asking me for money to help with the problem with AIDS in Africa rather than the world leaders at the G8. I haven’t had the opportunity to see Clerks 2 this summer but I’m certainly looking forward to. Shane, this site is great, I’ll be sure to bookmark it for the future.
Shane if you can get this back to Duke somehow I\’d really appreciate it!
Duke, my comment was only related to the movie, believe me! You were a wonderful gentleman and offered for us to leave and I said no we could stay.
You were a great date!