The more ‘commercial’ version of Clerks (1)

It’s safe to say that, back in 1994, the original ‘Clerks’ film was a classic.  It was shot by (first time) film-maker Kevin Smith in black and white and charted the amazingly simple tale of a day in the life of two guys who worked in a convenience store.

In fact, it was so successful that it’s amazing that it’s taken so long to produce a sequel.  And, as everyone knows, there’s always a distinct lack in quality when it comes to sequels.  Yes, ‘Clerks II’ isn’t quite as sharp or ‘cutting-edge’ is the original, but it’s still damn good fun.

The two guys have since left the grocery store and now work in a faceless burger joint (totally ripping of McDonalds!).  However, this is the last day one of them will be working, as he’s moving to Florida with his new fiancé and his best friend refuses to let him go without a ‘proper’ send-off.

It’s easy to say that what follows is just a re-run of Clerks (1).  But it isn’t.  It’s a whole new beast all together.  Yes, the humour is still as risky and ‘adult’ in nature (you can’t watch this and be easily offended!), but the situations are different and, what’s more, is that you actually can identify with the characters.  There are even a couple of quite touching moments between the two leads.

So, if you’re a fan of adult humour (or just enjoyed the original) then this is definitely one for you.  Of course, if, like me, you’re a die-hard fan of Kevin Smith’s films, you’ll get added enjoyment out of Clerks II as it’s part of his ‘Askewniverse’ where all his films are interlinked and there are plenty of references to past situations and charters.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one