Kevin Smith’s career has been a rocky one in terms of critical acclaim, but his fan base never seems to waiver, nor does his marketability. Making Clerks II was certainly a bold step, but I’m happy to say it was a successful one.
Clerks II is for me the most satisfying of Kevin’s films since the brilliant Chasing Amy. The comedy is narrative-driven, rather than loosely stitched together à la Dogma or Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and the laughs come thick and fast. It isn’t as dialogue heavy as the original, which is disappointing, but this is more than made up for by the introduction of new characters, namely Becky and Elias. Rosario Dawson (Rent) lights up the screen as Becky, and is so damn likeable you simply accept that this radiant woman would hang around slackers Dante and Randal. Relative unknown Trevor Fehrman is also perfect as the lovable dork Elias, obsessed with The Lord of the Rings and somewhat inexperienced when it comes to sex, not to mention females in general. He’s bound to have a huge career ahead of him. Jay and Silent Bob are relegated to supporting roles which is really where they are at their most effective, and Jason Mewes for one is looking a little more lucid now that he has cleaned up his act.
Whilst the film is centred on events rather than the never-ending conversations of the original, Smith still shows a flair for dialogue. Overall there’s something comforting about the film, which somehow propels the viewer back twelve years to when we hadn’t even heard of the man. The performances of the two leads are still occasionally stilted, but that’s part of the film’s charm.
Clerks II isn’t brilliant, but damn good entertainment, and certainly better than the title makes it sound. And what do you know? I went the whole review without mentioning Jersey Girl… Damn.