There’s not a lot of grey area with Kevin Smith; you either like his stuff, or you don’t….especially so when it comes to the project that started it all, ‘Clerks’.
Waaaaaaaay back in 1994, the director hit it big time with the now-cult classic comedy that followed the day-to-day happenings of a group of 20-something slackers working at a tiny New Jersey convenience store. Smith, in clever fashion, even filmed the feature in black & white to give it the appearance of surveillance cam footage. It was unique, it was funny, it connected with audiences who obviously had similar blue collar experiences during their formative years, and, although it was patched together on a shoestring budget, it launched Smith into elite Hollywood company.
But even with the filmmaker rolling in dough and suddenly rubbing elbows with superstars, that little film continued to spawn a universe of quirky characters which Smith couldn’t resist adding to follow up features…films with MUCH larger financial backing, like ‘Mallrats’, ‘Chasing Amy’ and ‘Dogma’. Smith could never really escape ‘Clerks’, nor should he – it was his inner mustard, the kind of spunk that made him bold and cheeky and – although it WAS drenched in sexual innuendos and poop jokes – an ingenious legend.
Fast forward to 2022. It only makes sense for Smith, coming off some hurdles both in his personal and professional life (Remember ‘Jersey Girl’? Trust me, you don’t want to..), to return behind the counter in ‘Clerks III’. Yes, there was a ‘Clerks II’, released in 2006. And it wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t as integral as this.
And really, that’s the question we should ask of ALL sequels; are they necessary? Given the faults of ‘Clerks III’, and with a fine eye you could make a decent argument that there are enough of them that this ISN’T a great idea…..but good luck convincing the faithful fan base of this series on that point. The fact is, despite its warts….and again, there are a handful….few franchises put the wraps on things as beautifully and profoundly as Smith does here.
Will it offend some? Guaranteed. Should those who have never seen ‘Clerks’ take it in? Sure, but be prepared to be completely lost. And will those who HAVE seen ‘Clerks’ love it?
I honestly can’t see why they wouldn’t.
The sequel catches up with originals Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) still toiling away at the Quick Stop, still taking breaks to play road hockey on the roof of the store, and still giving their crude and insightful play-by-play on life. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are still hanging out in front of the store while running a weed biz next door….in other words, not much has changed. Well, that is, other than Dante’s life having taken a tragic turn with the death of his wife, Becky (Rosario Dawson). And when Randall suffers a major heart attack at work, sparking a desire to make a movie of their life operating a convenience store, the gang (in their own quirky and unconventional way) reflect on their journey and how their relationships matter.
That might seem like deep stuff for a motion picture propped up by sophomore humour and loaded with so many easter eggs, the director should be dressed in a bunny suit….but that’s the magic of Smith – he somehow finds a way to hit big time emotions. I dare say, it brings an authenticity to ‘Clerks III’ that even the biggest follower probably won’t anticipate – but will embrace.
