As evidenced by the power that director Kevin Smith seems to wield on the fringes of Hollywood, there is an audience… a big audience… out there who enjoys the simplicity of films filled with angst, humor, uncomplicated acting and metaphoric truths about life all delivered with guy-bustingly raunchy, yet stylishly written rapid-fire dialogue. I would venture to say that most of those who outright proclaim not to like his work are those fans whose families and churches would ridicule them if they were to announce their reverence for the guy. I'll be the first to admit that the majority of Kevin Smith's films, going back to "Clerks" (the film that launched his career), are obnoxious, gross, disgusting, shocking, offensive and sick. They are chock full of childish, if not infantile, jokes based mostly on the lowest denominators of humor. But you know what? I laugh harder and longer at his movies than any others I can think of. Only Kevin Smith can take material like this and elevate it to a high (and I do mean HIGH) art form.

However, make no mistake, his movies are ABSOLUTELY not for everyone. You don’t need to have a high tolerance to offensive humor; you need a cast-iron shield of tolerance to appreciate Smith’s ‘elegant’ use of language, metaphor and gross-out humor. He’s still one of the sharpest and wittiest writers in Hollywood (New Jersey?) right now.

However Smith made some career choices over the last few years that both disappointed and pleased most fans all at the same time. First, he announced he was leaving behind the world of Jay and Silent Bob to try his hand at something different. Something really high profile. Something that promised to be great. He was going to direct a big budget adaptation of "The Green Hornet." This was exciting news for Smith fans as he had penned the scripts for several comic book properties, including Green Arrow, Spider-Man and Daredevil, all of which were met with wild acclaim. If anyone could do something as retro chic as Green Hornet, it would be Smith.

But it was not to be, he instead decided that a big budget film like that was going to be out of his range as a director. As opposed to taking a chance of delivering a crappy movie, he dropped out. Instead he returned to his roots and directed a sequel to "Clerks", allowing fans to once again re-visit the other dynamic duo. Now some of you might not know who Jay and Silent Bob are, so to prepare the uninitiated, they started with a brief but memorable appearance in “Clerks.” This movie also marked the first of his proposed ‘Jersey Trilogy.’ As portrayed by Jason Mewes (Jay) and Kevin Smith himself (Silent Bob), they were nothing more than a couple of goofy drug dealers hanging out in front of a convenience store. Over the course of the five movies in said Trilogy (“Clerks”, “Mallrats”, “Chasing Amy”, “Dogma” and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"), these two rascals had somehow been elevated from mere bit players to unbelievably popular cultural icons. They’ve been in MTV videos and even had a cameo in “Scream 3.” Finally, in that fifth chapter of the Trilogy, we found our heroes making their way across the country to Hollywood where a movie was being made using their comic book superhero alter egos, Bluntman & Chronic. Yes… that's how involved these characters got…

So now we have "Clerks 2", which many originally felt might be a bit on the commercial side for Smith. There were fears that he was just trying to cash in on his roots and might deliver a sub-par re-hash of the film that kicked off his career. These fears were unfounded though as Smith instead re-visited this world focusing in on Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randall (Jeff Anderson), the super slacker leads from the first film as their lives change drastically with the burning down of the Quick Stop store. Their 'careers' as clerks cut horribly short, they are forced to move across the ladder of success by becoming burger flippers at the local Mooby's. Here they continue their lifelong debate on life, death, love, comics and movies, you know… all of the important things.

Though "Clerks 2" busies itself with more intricate plotlines such has Dante's engagement to Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach), the hopes of getting a 'good job' in her wealthy father's company and his closet angst about his feelings for Becky (Rosario Dawson), the movie's true entertainment comes in the form of the snappy patter and dialogue heavily scenes involving Dante and Randall. These two in many ways outshine Jay and Silent Bob, and it is really a shame these characters did not have the same cult-like success. The two goofy drug dealers are hysterical to be sure, but Dante and Randall share a slacker-eyed view of the world that is far funnier. But the dialogue is only as good as the delivery, and O'Halloran and Anderson are more than up to the task.

Genius Products is releasing the DVD for "Clerks 2" and like all the previous films, offers up a treasure trove of extra features sure to please the most ardent fans of Smith's work. Right off the bat I was surprised to see three separate commentary tracks. THREE! The first features Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier and directory of photography David Klein. Of the three commentaries this is probably the most focused in terms of making the film. These guys are cut-ups and there is a fair share of jokes, but the production details are fulfilling enough to satisfy filmmaking geeks everywhere. The second commentary also features Smith and Mosier, but this time they are joined by actors Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran and Jennifer Schwalbach. This one is as expected… full of self-deprecating humor and zingers going back and forth. About the only thing you'll learn here is how much fun it would be to hang with these guys. The final commentary is actually a podcast that was meant to be listened while watching the film in the theater and we hear from Smith, Mosier and Anderson. This is also a very funny track.

The DVD also includes several deleted scenes, which unlike most are actually quite funny. For those of you who have a love/have relationship with bestiality (like a certain highly paid critic), there is a featurette on one of the most talked about sequences in the film. I was very happy to see a blooper reel added to this release, but unlike most blooper reels that last only a few minutes, this one goes on for almost 30. You'll also find a collection of video production diaries that serve to compliment the excellent 90 minute documentary feature on the making of the movie.

So, despite the fact that I'd love to see Smith tackle a big budget superhero flick I can’t say I'm not happy to see him return to hit roots. "Clerks 2" was very funny, in that politically incorrect way that I love so much.

Directed by: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran, Rosario Dawson, Trevor Fehrman, Jennifer Schwalbach, Jason Mewes
Extras: Commentary by Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier, and Director of Photography David Klein, Commentary by Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier, and Actors Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran and Jennifer Schwalbach, Podcast Commentary by Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier and Actor Jeff Anderson, Deleted Scenes with Intro, A Closer Look at Interspecies Erotica, Back to the Well: Clerks 2 Documentary, Bloopers, 10 Train Wrecks - Video Production Diaries
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Genius Products / Weinstein
Release Date: 11/28/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Pervasive Sexual and Crude Content Including Aberrant Sexuality, Strong Language and Some Drug Material)

Website

We'll give Clerks 2 an A.