With Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Kevin Smith thought that he’d seen the back of his View Askew universe – the sequence of Jersey-based inter-related films that began back in 1994 with the original Clerks. But then his romantic comedy for grown-ups, Jersey Girl, tanked horribly with fans and critics alike, (despite being actually pretty good.) And so, in a reversal as dramatic as it is not-entirely-surprising, Smith has returned with a sequel to the no-budget classic that made his name.
Most of the original cast return, which is both a curse and a blessing – Jeff Anderson is still consistently funny as Randal, while Brian O’Halloran as Dante still can’t act, even in the seemingly foolproof role of straight man. This is slightly unfortunate because the story, as in the first Clerks, centres on Dante and his over-complicated love life. This time, he’s wrestling with the ever-so-difficult dilemma of choosing between his beautiful but annoying fiancé (Jennifer Schwalbach / Mrs Kevin Smith) and his beautiful but less annoying boss (Rosario Dawson). It’s not much of a plot, but then it doesn’t need to be – as a frame it’s just about sturdy enough to support the absurdity and obscenity that are the film’s true focus.
It’s lousy reviewing, but the fact is, if you like Kevin Smith films then you’ll like this one and if you don’t then Clerks II really isn’t going to convert you. It’s frequently hilarious, but only if you find heated debates about whether Star Wars is better than Lord of the Rings or whether “porch monkey” is a racist term funny; likewise if you’re the kind of person who’s offended by inter-species erotica or copious amounts of swearing, then this isn’t going to be the movie for you.
Either way, it’s certainly not the horrible cash-in it might have been; if this isn’t what Smith wants to be doing with his career then he hides it well, and plays amply to the fans, with worthwhile cameos from regulars like Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, and plenty of inspired, foul-mouthed slacker Jay and his hetero life partner Silent Bob. Newcomer Trevor Fehrman as Transformers-obsessed virgin Elias is also a welcome addition – his only function is as a victim for Randall to tear into, but their endless arguments on insane subjects make for most of the film’s more hilarious scenes.
As well as new characters, Smith has allowed just a hint of maturity to creep into the mix – not in the sense of toning down but in creating something a little more three-dimensional than his early work. The story may be paper thin and totally predictable, but the themes behind it are pretty effective – whereas in the first Clerks the fact that Dante and Randal’s lives were at a total dead end was played almost entirely for laughs, here it’s presented more sympathetically and satisfyingly.
In the end, if you’ve seen any of Smith’s previous films and liked them, or if you haven’t but like smartly-written, obscenity-laden comedy, then seeing Clerks II is a safe bet. And if you don’t then you’ll never find out who Pillow Pants the pussy troll is, and miss out on probably the funniest scene this year – you have been warned.