CLERKS 2

Reviewed by James Lynch

To clerk, or not to clerk? After a string of disappointing films, Kevin Smith returns to the characters and setting of his initial success. The result is CLERKS 2, a satisfying sequel that stays true to its origins.

After a fire destroys the Quick Stop, Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson) make a lateral move to Mooby's, a fast-food chain. Dante still dreams of being more responsible, which seems likely: He is about to quit Mooby's, move to Florida with fiancee Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach), and work at a real job provided by his father-in-law. But Dante also has feelings for his Mooby's boss Becky (Rosario Dawson), and Randall wants Dante to stay in New Jersey (while planning a, er, unique going-away present for Dante). Nerdy cashier Elias (Trevor Fehrman) preaches Christianity and the greatness of the Lord of the Rings movies, and of course Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smth) hang around to deal drugs.

It's nice to see Kevin Smith backon familiar ground. While Mooby's may be cleaner and more official than the Quick Stop was (the film shifts from the black and white right before the fire, to color in the yellow-and-purple world of fast food), the problems of clerking remain the same. Kevin Smith keeps these familiar characters consistent; there are no false notes or unbelievable character developments. CLERKS 2 also has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, including Randall's birthday gift (and the horribly wrong directions it takes). Smith gets a little self-indulgent at times, from the string of celebrity guest appearances to a thoroughly unnecessary musical number, but he mostly stays on target. If you know the suffering of cashiering, or you just want to hang around some foul-mouthed friends, see CLERKS 2.

Overall Grade: B+