Clerks II
Rated: R
The most fascinating thing about Clerks II is that the message of the film is an argument for the existence of Clerks II. It’s arguing that living in a state of arrested development is better than following society’s rules for being a responsible adult. But knowing Kevin Smith, it’s clear that his real argument is about why he doesn’t have to mature as a writer and director. 
Briefly, the film takes us to a day at Mooby’s (the McDonalds-Disney hybrid first introduced in Dogma) where our friends Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) now work since the incineration-by-neglected-coffee-pot of the Quickstop convenience store. Jay & Silent Bob have also migrated to the fast food joint along with Christ in the hearts since a brief stint in rehab. Working alongside Dante and Randal (although I use the term “working” looser than a whore’s cooter (in a review of a Kevin Smith film, expect that kind of language)), are super-nerd Elias, who is differentiated from Dante and Randal’s 80s geekery with 90s/2000s nerd geekery, and their boss Becky (Rosairo Dawson, who should win the mythical “Best Non-Smith Company Person To Deliver Smith Lines” award). The film alternates between the funny pop-culture asides and the drama of Dante about to move away to live the 100% American Dream Approved© life of loveless marriage in Florida with Emma (Smith’s real-world wife, Jennifer Schwalbach). It’s hard to discuss a Kevin Smith film without talking about Kevin Smith, not just as a filmmaker, but in terms of personality, career, and body of work. Usually I try to remove a director’s personal life from my analysis of a film (Roman Polanski’s molestation charges did not influence my opinion of The Ninth Gate), but all of Kevin Smith’s films are about Kevin Smith. I could never see Kevin Smith doing a science fiction film or a western because A) I doubt he’ll become an astronaut or a cowboy anytime soon and B) he’s lacks to courage to make such a film. Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back was supposed to be Smith’s farewell to what he called “The Askewniverse”. After that film, Smith clearly wanted to mature. But apparently no one told Smith that the road to maturity is bumpy and fraught with peril. You may get your ass kicked but growing up means forging ahead anyway. Smith took the ass-kicking Jersey Girl all the way back to 1994 and his first feature film. From the moment Clerks II was announced, I was bummed. Smith had the choice to make a Green Hornet film or even a sequel to Fletch, but he went twelve years in reverse and then made a film about why it’s okay to go twelve years in reverse. SPOILER ALERT but the big message of the film is that you should do what you love, even if it doesn’t meet an arbitrary societal standard of success (Smith must have had some leftover clichés from Jersey Girl). I found this message depressing and cowardly because while I think you should do what you love, I also think you should spend time trying to figure out what that is. We know that Dante clerked at the Quickstop for ten years and at Mooby’s for another year after Quickstop closed. I don’t mean to ramble constantly about the film’s message, but the film definitely has no problem pushing the concept. The first Clerks basically had the message at the end with Dante and Randal’s post-fight. Here, we’re constantly getting signals and while it would seem like this would slow the film down, Clerks II actually feels shorter. But Clerks II shouldn’t be that kind of film. It’s a film torn between the charming malaise of the first film (these moments are where the film is at its best) and a compulsion to hammer the audience over the head with Dante’s drama (bringing a film about standing still to a standstill). I know this review seems very negative but I enjoyed the film when it was content to exist and not yelling its moral to the audience. The new cast members are excellent (Trevor Fehrman could go very far with his subtle comic timing), Jason Mewes yet again makes me wonder why he doesn’t try to act in a role other than Jay (the guy has charm and charisma to spare and I think he could make it as a professional actor if he really wanted it), and there are memorable moments throughout. Unfortunately, while Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back may have been the intended to close to the Askewniverse, Smith’s refusal to grow as an artist may bring about a close to his career. Words by
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