Clerks II (Two-Disc Full Screen Edition)
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List Price: $19.95
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Features
• Closed-captioned
• Color
• DVD-Video
• Full Screen
• NTSC
In Theaters : 21 July, 2006
DVD Release : 28 November, 2006 |
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Clerks II (Two-Disc Full Screen Edition) description
Lo and behold, Clerks II defies the odds as a sequel that even the most ardent Clerks fans can be happy about. Twelve years after Kevin Smith turned the independent film world upside-down with his $27,000 black-and-white comedy, perpetual slackers Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) return for another raucous romp in subur ... review details
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Clerks II (Two-Disc Full Screen Edition) Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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Finding your destiny at Mooby's
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I became a fan of the original "Clerks" back in the 90s. After watching a "Clerks" and "Mallrats" double feature on satellite TV last month, I decided I needed to catch up with the characters. So I bought this DVD, checked out the movie, and went through most of the extras. If you liked the first flick, then you need to add this one to your collection.
"Clerks II" picks up a decade or so after "Clerks." After accidentally torching the Quick Stop and RST Video building, Dante (Brian O"Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) wind up with jobs at Mooby's, a typical fast-food joint. A year later, Dante is engaged to an attractive but controlling blond and prepping for a move to Florida. To "celebrate" Dante's impending departure, Randal decides to throw a raucous surprise going-away party. The rest of the movie plays out over the course of Dante's last day, as buried passions rise to the surface and all sorts of crazy stuff happens.
The "Clerks" characters are easy to identify with. In the first movie, Dante and Randal struggled with young adulthood and finding purpose in life. Here, their rage against the machine continues with the thirtysomething angst of "growing up" and leaving youth behind for stability and responsibility - in other words abandoning options in order to take a certain path (see the movie "High Fidelity" for another great example of that theme). They're also poster boys for what happens to close male friendships when a woman enters the picture (especially when she doesn't like the other guy). Finally, the geek in me loves it when they rant about pop culture, like arguments with customers over which movie trilogy is best: "Star Wars," or "Lord of the Rings." As a Christian, sometimes I struggle with Kevin Smith's raunchiness, especially when I'm laughing at it. But the man professes a relationship with God, and he touches on some deep stuff with a sense of humor, so I have to give him props for that.
Despite the considerable gap between the two movies and some additional paunch, the actors nail their characters (doing the "Clerks" animated show must've helped). The two leads have a natural chemistry, so I easily bought them as lifelong friends. The female leads from the first movie don't return, but the women in our heroes' lives this time around are good to go, especially Rosario Dawson as Dante's manager and confidant. She conveys just the right mix of ebullience, seriousness, and vulnerability with her character. And it's always fun to see Jay and Silent Bob in action, both in and out of jail.
The DVD extras are cool - Kevin Smith certainly uses the format to its fullest potential. I was amazed by the amount of planning and detail involved in the filmmaking process. Even a small budget film like this one entails a ton of planning, development, and logistics. Aspects of the creative process, like a critique of the rough cut by directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, were fascinating. And after all that blood, sweat, and tears, how will the public receive one's pride and joy? Mr. Smith was somewhat cynical about how "Clerks II" would be received at Cannes, but the 8-minute standing ovation at the movie's end was a solid affirmation. Particularly touching was Jason Mewes' struggle for sobriety (apparently this is the first time he's played Jay w/out chemical assistance). It was a nice touch to see the cast and crew rally around him and encourage his recovery. Of course, the deleted scenes and bloopers are fun as well.
A special nod should go to the two main commentary tracks. The cast commentary focuses more on the actors and their perspectives. As with "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" commentary, I was disappointed by the absence of the female lead (Rosario Dawson) - her insights were missed. However, the rest of the cast made it fun, especially with Mr. Smith holding the reins and keeping things on track. It's obvious that they got along well during the shoot. The technical commentary with director Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier, and director of photography David Klein is a bit drier because it's, well, technical. It centers on the filmmaking process (film stock, lighting, set design, special effects, etc.). Although I found the tech stuff less captivating at times, it was interesting to get the scoop on how they used color and film type to help tell the story. Overall, it's amazing to see how the film came together, and how far they've advanced as filmmakers since the first movie.
If you're a Kevin Smith fan, then I'm sure you've already seen "Clerks II" (if not, then what are you waiting for?). However, if you're new to the View Askewniverse, then check out the original before watching this one. That way you'll get the full meal deal, and hopefully come to enjoy these characters and their struggles as much as I have. |
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Clerks II (Two-Disc Full Screen Edition) dvd movie.