Mooby Review

DVD Weekend: Clerks IIWhile I didn’t get all internet fanboy about it, I was one of the Legion of Concerned on this one. Have been very up and down on Kevin Smith (not as dirty as it sounds). Loved Clerks, Mallrats not so much, Chasing Amy’s terrific, Dogma’s interesting but doesn’t totally work, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back was a mess, Jersey Girl was surprisingly good for being so maligned, etc. Going back to the well seemed both a terrific and terrible idea – was it Smith successfully returning to his roots or would it be just a collection of dick and fart jokes from the cutting room floor of five other flicks?

It might be his best movie ever.

The beginning’s a bit rough – while not quite “I’m still not supposed to be here today!” it takes a little time to advance past “they’re back.” Dante and Randal are in fine form, they’ve got a new foil in Elias, Jay & Silent Bob have stepped back to the sidelines, etc… it’s fun, but feels a little irrelevant. Once Rosario Dawson walks thru the door, tho, it’s a whole different movie.

Her relationship with Dante, and the complications it causes with his relationship with Randal, are about the most real Smith has put on film. Amidst a bunch of fast-food humor and a donkey show, of course. Dawson’s a revelation – witty and winning – but the real achievement is honest and raw emotion. Smith’s known for filthy fun dialogue, and it’s here in spades, but what makes this a move and not just a series of sketches is how much you end up caring about these Clerks by the time the credits roll.

Netflix it if you just wanna see the flick, but buy it if you want to gleefully kill an entire weekend. As with all View Askew DVDs, this one’s loaded – Smith’s second to perhaps Peter Jackson in terms of comprehensive packages. 3 commentaries, a 90-minute documentary, 10 behind-the-scenes video journals, deleted scenes you actually want to see and a half-hour gag reel.

So catch up with the Clerks 10ish years later – it’s been a long trip back to the Quick Stop, but it’s well worth it.