After the would-be mainstream entry disaster of JERSEY GIRL, Kevin Smith would appear to have gone backwards in returning to his much-liked "View Askewverse" set in New Jersey, in this case a $5 million sequel to the 1994 movie that propelled Smith from slacker comic book-nerd to noted filmmaker: CLERKS.
Besides the fact that it would be an easy and quick profit on the rebound from the failure of JERSEY GIRL, what else is there to the Gen-X slackin clerks of Dante Hicks (O'Halloran) and Randall Graves (Anderson)?
Alot. CLERKS back in 1994 was an absorbing movie about a generation of 20sh slackers that goofed off while debating STAR WARS and insulting costumers. A decade later, they're now 30sh, and having to work at a fucking fast food joint, and now engage in fights with younger useless people between STAR WARS and LORD OF THE RINGS fan factions. But, these two's shenninigans only hide the fact that their lives are still going no where, and they're pissed. However, no Tyler Durden will save them...they will have to fucking make a difference themselves.
Two montage moments of melodrama convinced me that Smith was going to fuck up like he did with JERSEY GIRL, but he restrains himself. If anything, they are feel-good moments to characters that finally grow up, but not to appease a shallow and materialistic society. Besides, Rosario Dawson is one hell of a catch!
Smith arguably is the Woody Allen of Gen-X, in that he can create witty dialogue that people will quote for years, and in regards to situations that we can relate to. However, its the 2nd factor that Smith has been away the longest from. After CLERKS, he worked on humorous would-be cult comedic-movies(or at least attempted to create such fare) as MALLRATS, CHASING AMY, DOGMA and JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK(luckily, the duo are back in CLERKS 2 as well). But save for CHASING AMY, Smith hasn't created a movie that not only burned-out Gen X'ers will get, but people of any generation that feel like the world has passed them by since...well, CLERKS.
Bravo Mr. Smith, and lets hope you continue to make movies based on what you know and understand, and not simply dumbass chick flick fare that suck like most mainstream floaters.
