Clerks 2

The opening shot of Clerks 2 continues in the original’s black and white film, but quickly awakens in colour once the Quick Stop burns down to the ground. It’s a nice transition to begin a sequel that has many stylistic differences to balance out the few changes the characters have undergone. Without the Quick Stop and RST Video shop, Dante and Randal find work at Mooby’s, a local fast-food chain managed by Becky (Rosario Dawson). However, Dante’s now found the motivation to leave New Jersey and relocate to Florida with his fiancée Emma, much to everyone’s chagrin. Randal hides his sadness by tormenting the awkward, Tolkien-obsessed Elias and hiring a donkey/woman travelling sex show called Kinky Kelly and the Sexy Stud as a send-off for his friend. Jay and Silent Bob are there, outside Mooby’s dealing drugs, but they’ve changed after a stint in the slammer and now lead their drug dealing lives as born again Christians (though not in the true sense). While the film essentially spans over the course of a day, what Dante wakes up thinking is completely turned upside down by the end of the night. A surprise romance with another woman appears out of the blue and spoils his plan, Randal bares his heart and soul (yes, he has both), multiple arrests are made and then there’s that case of "interspecies erotica” to behold, which doesn’t hold back at all. From start to finish, Clerks 2 is a satisfying continuation with plenty of the little quirks and the distinguishing simpleton existence that made the predecessor so beloved. Smith makes it known that he’s matured since the first Clerks (a wee bit), and doesn’t hold off on embracing his Chasing Amy/Jersey Girl side, which comes out and softens up the story to eye-rolling proportions at times — the horribly soppy montage soundtracked by Smashing Pumpkins’ "1979” is cringeworthy. (And really, what was he thinking with the Jackson Five musical number?) In the end though what Smith has brought to the table works, thanks to some rewarding closure that doesn’t mess with the original’s foundation. (MGM)