"Misery loves company."
Kevin Smith's unrivalled adoring fan base can be accredited more to his original and fascinating sense of humor than to a string of successful, well made movies. After his "over the counter" culture debut, his potential appeared limitless. Here was a guy who had made it big against all odds, a story documented in the brilliant "The Snowball Effect" on the Clerks X disc, he represented working class America, and for that he was and always will be loved. Unfortunately the potential never quite fully realized itself, spending his career striving to bring his View Askew Universe to all new heights, but ultimately never really matching the inventive brilliance of his first foray into the film world. However, I'm not saying that his following films were not great in my eyes.
From an objective point of view, free of the reigns of his immovable fans, it is clear that Kevin Smith should and could do better. So here we are in 2006 and we have the release of a follow up to the immortal classic, a journey back to his roots. Despite cameos and the further adventures of his brainchildren Jay and Silent Bob, Smith has never before chosen to produce a follow up to a previous work, choosing instead to dip in and out of his creations freely. Clerks II represents an attempt to forward his characters to perhaps, after all these years, find meaning in their lives. It is in all aspects a wonderful success.
What sets Clerks II apart from his previous venture, what makes it a film worth making, is the wonderful bitter sense of the passage of time, of lives wasted, and potential unfulfilled. It is this that makes the sequel and even more poignant piece of work in that it bears more than a small similarity to Smith's own career. Of course it is an extreme comparison, but the potential unfulfilled aspect to the film is certainly applicable and I find it hard to believe that Smith wrote this completely free of autobiographical motive.
Clerks II is the most important film of Smith's career, while not as sharp and original as its predecessor, in terms of emotional punch no previous work of his can touch it. In terms of comedy nothing comes to close to Anderson's Randal and, all these years on, he is still the funniest character to grace Smith's casts. Anyone who is not in fits of laughter after the film by the truly perfect "Lord of the Rings" impression and the fantastic reaction to newcomer Elias' sexual misunderstandings will never, ever understand Smith's humor. Unlike his first performance which while still incredibly good was restricted by the low budget production, here Anderson unleashes his full potential. To think his inclusion in the original cast was an unforeseen stroke of luck is unbelievable.
Dante is the same old character as is the situation, ready to leave for a new life in Florida with his fiancée he is once again torn between two women, his insistence on making choices he feels he should be making instead of following his real feelings still plagues him. Yet what at first sounds like a rehash is soon revealed to be a clever, almost subtle technique to drive Smith's point home, Randal displays a self awareness of the repeat scenario in one of his rants. While in the original the themes were effective and the resolution satisfying they were still pretty functional as opposed to truly involving. This time the stakes are higher, and the potential consequences of these choices are far more terrifying, bringing emotion to the forefront.
Many comedy films attempt to draw an audience in, to feel for the characters, but come across as pale functional necessities. What Smith has achieved here is rare, the blend of emotion and extremely crude comedy finally perfected, both realistic and valuable. Even Jay is afforded a sense of regret "You know, sometimes I wish I did a little more with my life instead of hanging out in front of places selling weed and shit." All the characters are still up to the same old no good, only this time there are signs of maturity, the men behind the comedic masks truly surface.
The moment you realize that you truly give a damn about Randal is a surprisingly moving thing. For me it was during the Go-Kart scene. Watching him and Dante cruising round the track with a sense of child like glee drove home the simplicity of their lives and yet convinces you that it is a life worth living. Randal is a totally genuine guy, totally funny, childish and eminently likable, his whole character summed up in one sweeping moment that is perhaps the films crowning moment.
Has Kevin Smith gone soft? Of course not, Jay still rubs his naked ass up against the window, Randal's fetish for hermaphroditic porn is extended to bestiality, the reclaiming of racial slurs becomes topic of the day, geeks are throwing up in the name of " The Lord Of The Rings" and the burgers (obtained for free from a pickle-fucker) taste of piss and flies. Clerks is back and it's bigger, louder and ruder than ever. Stepping up the drama without compromising the hilarious vulgarity could well ensure Clerks II ascends beyond the original in time, with more to offer than anyone could have predicted.
Does that answer your question, Crypt?
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No, I don't think you HAVE to. Just know the characters.