Grade: B | Genre: Comedy Summary: No one is more surprised by the outcome of this rather witty little film than I. It has its share of problems, but this is light years away from the suck fest this was destined to be. The rise and fall of Kevin Smith has been a swift and ugly thing to witness. I think the general sentiment was summed up best in a recent episode of Entourage when Vince discovers they've sloughed off directorial responsibilities of the Aquaman sequel to Kevin Smith after James Cameron bailed. The communal gasps of disappointment couldn't have been more telling. Smith was a man who entered with all the promise of indie Superman. Clerks had the grittiness of an El Mariachi with the savvy of Reservoir Dogs. It was lewd, crude and set its own rules that naturally come with a lack money and studio muscle forcing the film's evolution through focus groups. He would sputter out on Mall Rats, but fulfill all of his tremendous promise in the insta-classic Chasing Amy. Since then, one bad film has cascaded into the next -- Jersey Girl, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the brilliantly mis-executed Dogma. It's amazing that this man can still take meetings in Hollywood. So when I first heard the rumor that Smith was queuing up a sequel to his indie smash hit, I could only think that he was sucking out that last ounce of indie credibility before getting tossed on the heap of hack directors for hire. Believe me, no one is more surprised by the outcome of this rather witty little film than I. It has its share of problems, but this is light years away from the suck fest this was destined to be.

So black and white inevitably surrender to Ted Turner's color wheel as Dante (Brian O'Halloran) discovers his beloved Quick Stop convenience store has erupted in flames one morning. A year later, he finds himself similarly stuck in a dead end job in a joint called Mooby's, fast food hell in other words, doing his usual 'feel sorry for me' routine. Jay and Silent Bob are still hanging around selling the doobage after getting filtered through a stint in rehab. Jay (Jason Mewes) is born again in his "Got Christ?" t-shirt, but never fear, he is the same foul-mouthed hood rat that he's always been. Rosario Dawson somehow subdues her vivacious looks to play the store manager, and Dante's shade too friendly of a friend. Randal (Jeff Anderson) is still the wily instigator, launching into diatribes on why Star Wars is superior to Lord of the Rings and making merciless fun of a handicap blogger. Randal can type?

Clerks 2 Starring: Brian Christopher O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosario Dawson, Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith Director: Kevin Smith View the Trailer (Quicktime) Related Articles Interesting 'Dogma' Factoids Zach Braff to Play the New 'Fletch' Team America: World Police

The day unfolds much like the mishaps of the original Clerks -- skipping out of work, dancing on the rooftop, interspecies erotica. Yeah, I'm not going to expand on that one. Randal is still the best character with his rabid political incorrectness and ability to offend just about everyone within ear range of his overly crass remarks. The jokes are just as juvenile and immature as the original, which caters to these characters so well. This is an extension of Clerks and not some cheap carbon copy looking to score a quick buck. Granted, the jokes have lost a bit of their zing, lacking the novel spin of the original, but they hold up incredibly well. The film falls on harder times when Smith tries to plug in his Jersey Girl sticky moments of sentimentality. They are cheap ploys fat emotionality that only yield emptiness. Thankfully, we only get a couple of these moments shuffled in through the course of the film.

I have to say I'm very surprised by this film. I had utterly abysmal expectations coming in so that could have had something to do with why I'm so pleasantly surprised. Kevin Smith has shown us that the heart and soul of this innovative director is still alive and well, but for some reason he just isn't letting it run free. Is this the film to get him back in touch with his muse? Only time can tell, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

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