My thoughts on a movie I have not yet seen

[amnesiack]

I'm going to see Clerks II with the usual crew tonight. I have mixed feelings about Kevin Smith's work in general; it ranges from brilliant (Clerks: The Animated Series) to absolute garbage (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). But for Clerks II I am especially conflicted. On the one hand, the original Clerks and its aforementioned animated spin-off (which was for the most part completely different in style and tone from the movie) are among the best of Smith's creations. On the other, it's an incredible backslide for Smith, who announced after Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back that he was done making movies about this particular group of characters and was moving on to other things. Now, one Jersey Girl failure later, he's exhumed his old bag of tricks in an attempt to remind people that, yes, they did once enjoy things he created. And that's the other thing that bothers me. Of all his old movies, Clerks seems like the one that least needs a movie sequel and, in fact, is the one that could potentially be most harmed by the process. The limitations he suffered under at the time he made the original (money, actors, experience) were inadvertently a big part of what made it good. Going back to it now with none of those limitations could potentially sour not only this movie, but it's predecessor by association.

I guess I'll know one way or the other after tonight.

Comments

[covenantscave.livejournal.com]

What's the verdict?

[(Anonymous)]

Yes, which way do you want to go?

[rabbar.livejournal.com]

What did you think? B and I saw it twice already.

[amnesiack.livejournal.com]

I thought it was watchable, and it did not suck, as I expected it to. Not particularly high praise, I know. I would rank it #4 out of the 6 Kevin Smith movies I've seen (not counting Jersey Girl, since I never saw it, and not counting Clerks: The Animated Series, which, while awesome, is technically not a movie). It was definitely miles above the pile of crap that was Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but it was well below the standards of Chasing Amy or the original Clerks.