Not exactly Empire Strikes Back, but a welcome return of the Clerks
The original Clerks is a seminal film to me and has probably influenced me more than any film I can care to name. Clerks showed me the nature of independent cinema to represent what the mainstream won't and influenced my preference for low key, off kilter, and subversive films. Clerks embedded into me the importance of good writing and dialogue in films; a film that can be smart and crude about subjects like necrophilia and pornography, make reference to Star Wars in a naturalistic and humorous way, contain rants about idiot customers and from fascist anti-smokers, and also wax lyrical about relationships is indeed a wondrous film. Most importantly, Smith's protagonists Randal (Jeff Anderson) and Dante (Brian O'Halloran) are likable characters who are separately amusingly flawed but together just about make up one rounded individual. Dante's knack for making the wrong choices, with regard his life, job, girls, is counterbalanced by Randal's frankness to his friend. Where Dante can be compliant but dissatisfied, Randal is insubordinate and angry and where Randal's attitude can alienate himself, Dante is always, if slightly grudgingly, there for him. And in Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks introduced two fantastic comic foils who've stayed with him ever since. Clerks is a bit charmingly rough around the edges and Chasing Amy is probably a better film, but for the above reasons Clerks remains my favourite Kevin Smith film.
Which is why I was filled with no small amount of dread when I heard about Clerks 2. I was one of the self-righteous fan-boys. The thought Smith making a vain attempt to recapture his glory days made me cringe at first, and sullying his masterpiece with a superfluous sequel? Blasphemy. Hadn't Smith already reprised his characters enough in various other form? A comic book, cameos in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, a wealth of merchandise, and even an animated series. For reference, I am a fan of these by-products of the original Clerks, but I needed some convincing over the necessity of another movie. It wasn't until I saw the trailer that I had a reluctant change of heart.
Plot wise, the film still follows the exploits slackers Randal and Dante through a day in their lives, albeit in a new fast food joint setting after the Quick Stop burns down; both protagonists are on the verge of change and neither are really up to it alone. Randal is loosing his best friend and his liaison to the conventions of society. Dante is stuck in another love triangle with his fiancé Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith) who he's not that into, whilst leaving behind Becky (Rosario Dawson) whom he likes. Dante is still all about the bad choices and Randal is still looking after his friend.
What Kevin Smith has achieved with Clerks 2 is a successful progression of the characters stories from the original; Dante carried on along the Mac-job path, despite saying he would 'make change' in his life, and finds himself in a similar state as before. Smith wisely develops Randal into a more sympathetic character, and a man on the verge of an empty future; 'sometimes I get the feeling the world left us behind a long time ago.' Randal may be in a worse place than when we first saw him a decade ago but he is still the source of most of the films biting humour, be it ranting against the Lord of the Rings ('Three movies of people walking to a f*cking volcano'), referring to an online disabled person as a 'crippie-boy', and espousing the virtue of going 'ass-to-mouth'. New guy Elias (Trevor Fehrman) provides Randal a fine whipping boy, even if he is a bit too much of a goof-ball at times (I refer to talk of Elias' girlfriends orifice trolls). As Dante's love interest, Becky fits well into the Clerks universe.
Looking at both Clerks back-to-back, it's interesting to see how they compare. Both share a similar structure and moments of Randal and Dante abandoning their positions. There's even a rooftop scene and Randal teaching his friend an important life lesson. The original, though, is grunge cinema-du-jour, not only on a base soundtrack level, but in an aesthetic and spiritual way (note how Clerks developed from its humble beginnings into a merchandising behemoth, not dissimilar to certain bands of the era). Clerks 2 gains a cinematic sheen lacking (but not missed) in the original, but works well in this sequel (the thought of Smith shooting this in black and white seems a bit pretentious). Clerks 2 probably has as much in common with Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as it has its forbearer, being more self-referential and celebratory of his cinematic world, and there's cameos aplenty from Smiths prior films (Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, and Ben Affleck). And where the original successfully operated on a tell-not-show basis with regard to its rude set pieces (Julie Dwyers casket being tipped over and the necrophilia in the bathroom), the sequel is more explicit and willing to revel in the disgusting bits (inter species erotica).
Clerks 2 marks how Kevin Smith has progressed as a director, confidently handling an excellent (and OTT) dance set piece, and an affectionate scene round a go kart track. Clerks 2 doesn't really match the quality of the originals writing, and can occasionally come across as silly whereas the original was definitely smart. Clerks 2 does prove a good accompanying piece, and certainly the best film Smith has done in a number of years. One thing though; please, please, please Kevin, no Clerks 3.
Which is why I was filled with no small amount of dread when I heard about Clerks 2. I was one of the self-righteous fan-boys. The thought Smith making a vain attempt to recapture his glory days made me cringe at first, and sullying his masterpiece with a superfluous sequel? Blasphemy. Hadn't Smith already reprised his characters enough in various other form? A comic book, cameos in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, a wealth of merchandise, and even an animated series. For reference, I am a fan of these by-products of the original Clerks, but I needed some convincing over the necessity of another movie. It wasn't until I saw the trailer that I had a reluctant change of heart.
Plot wise, the film still follows the exploits slackers Randal and Dante through a day in their lives, albeit in a new fast food joint setting after the Quick Stop burns down; both protagonists are on the verge of change and neither are really up to it alone. Randal is loosing his best friend and his liaison to the conventions of society. Dante is stuck in another love triangle with his fiancé Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach Smith) who he's not that into, whilst leaving behind Becky (Rosario Dawson) whom he likes. Dante is still all about the bad choices and Randal is still looking after his friend.
What Kevin Smith has achieved with Clerks 2 is a successful progression of the characters stories from the original; Dante carried on along the Mac-job path, despite saying he would 'make change' in his life, and finds himself in a similar state as before. Smith wisely develops Randal into a more sympathetic character, and a man on the verge of an empty future; 'sometimes I get the feeling the world left us behind a long time ago.' Randal may be in a worse place than when we first saw him a decade ago but he is still the source of most of the films biting humour, be it ranting against the Lord of the Rings ('Three movies of people walking to a f*cking volcano'), referring to an online disabled person as a 'crippie-boy', and espousing the virtue of going 'ass-to-mouth'. New guy Elias (Trevor Fehrman) provides Randal a fine whipping boy, even if he is a bit too much of a goof-ball at times (I refer to talk of Elias' girlfriends orifice trolls). As Dante's love interest, Becky fits well into the Clerks universe.
Looking at both Clerks back-to-back, it's interesting to see how they compare. Both share a similar structure and moments of Randal and Dante abandoning their positions. There's even a rooftop scene and Randal teaching his friend an important life lesson. The original, though, is grunge cinema-du-jour, not only on a base soundtrack level, but in an aesthetic and spiritual way (note how Clerks developed from its humble beginnings into a merchandising behemoth, not dissimilar to certain bands of the era). Clerks 2 gains a cinematic sheen lacking (but not missed) in the original, but works well in this sequel (the thought of Smith shooting this in black and white seems a bit pretentious). Clerks 2 probably has as much in common with Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as it has its forbearer, being more self-referential and celebratory of his cinematic world, and there's cameos aplenty from Smiths prior films (Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, and Ben Affleck). And where the original successfully operated on a tell-not-show basis with regard to its rude set pieces (Julie Dwyers casket being tipped over and the necrophilia in the bathroom), the sequel is more explicit and willing to revel in the disgusting bits (inter species erotica).
Clerks 2 marks how Kevin Smith has progressed as a director, confidently handling an excellent (and OTT) dance set piece, and an affectionate scene round a go kart track. Clerks 2 doesn't really match the quality of the originals writing, and can occasionally come across as silly whereas the original was definitely smart. Clerks 2 does prove a good accompanying piece, and certainly the best film Smith has done in a number of years. One thing though; please, please, please Kevin, no Clerks 3.
- twistedhooch
- Oct 14, 2007