Clerks II | Review

Sequels’ charades and tirades lack wit.

An update on pop culture and a script siphoning all the great utilities of the internet, Kevin Smith delivers large quantities of what he knows best: geekdom factoids, vulgarity as a second language, sexual deviances and donkey shows. Fans who love their Mallrats should start making space on their DVD shelves for another Smith rampage, unfortunately, everyone else might want to skip this reunion.

While Stan Lee’s Spiderman would say “with great power comes great responsibility”, the slackerdome characters that Kevin Smith created more than a decade ago are more likely still sticking to the same mantra that “with age comes very little, or no responsibility”. Less baby-faced, slightly more mature and a little more wear and tear, the popular first-name basis duo of Dante and Randal fabulously extend their love/hate relationship a full decade later but instead the battle field has changed and so has Smiths’ directing abilities.

A testament to the definition of true friendship, Clerks II sees Smith return comfortably to his roots in the shape of his 4-key Clerks characters, the handful of cameo appearances and not the risk-taking modus operatus of maxed-out credit cards and air of originality way back in 94. While Smith manages to go deeper into both ends of the spectrum – (the conduct is lewd and the emotional maturity is present) yet this MPAA-friendly comedy counts too much on meaningless toilette humor than the potential rewards of a fabulous look forward (and back). Somehow the inclusion of Rosario Dawson’s character might have mellowed out a script that still manages to discuss bestiality, bodily functions and Frodo in the same sentence.

While there are moments of comic relief that will work more for those who’ve managed to keep those who wear jeans and sneakers for the better part of a calendar year, the laugh count for others may be a paltry once or twice – the Silence of the Lambs bit should provide more convulsions than the not so funny going away party. Clerks II is digestible, but comes across like a reunion tour of an 80’s band way past their prime. Some memories are better kept in the back of our minds.

Rating 1.5 stars