Sunday, July 23, 2006

Clerks II (***)

What could have been a cheap attempt to cash in on past glory actually turns out to be one of the better sequels I've seen. After Clerks II and Before Sunset, I think that one way to make a really great sequel is to wait some ten plus years between installments. Clerks II works because it actually has something to say and it can take its characters in new directions. You don't just work convenience stores for ten years and stay the same. Dante and Randal are at a crossroads in their lives and Smith explores the comedic possibilities. He also brings back Jay and Silent Bob, something he had apparently sworn off when he made Jersey Girl, but after that disappointed, he came back to them. And thank goodness. Jay is a comic force to be reckoned with in this movie. His Silence of the Lambs impersonation of Buffalo Bill is priceless. There are a lot of crude jokes in the movie, but Smith can get away with them because he's got a good heart and is well intentioned. I really liked it.

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