Brian O'Halloran, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson

The continuing tale of Dante and Randal, two slackers who find that life must change now that they are in their thirties, when it's time to grow up and do something more than just sit around, dissect ...( read more  read more... )pop culture and talk about sex.

Flixster Users

83% liked it

262,701 ratings

Critics

62% liked it

155 critics

R, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Kevin Smith

Release Date: July 21, 2006

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DVD Release Date: November 28, 2006

Stats: 19,318 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (19,318)


  • October 17, 2009
    Proof that after all the mainstream bullshit Kevin Smith has crafted as of late, Silent Bob still knows how to put together a classic when he wants to. Is it better than the original? Not as good? Everybody's got their views on it, but it was wildly entertaining nonetheless, in a...( read more) juvenile way. Plus, having the ultra-hot Rosario Dawson in it helps quite a bit as well as Jason Mewes, who will do pretty much anything you ask him to onscreen.
  • August 14, 2009
    "With no power comes no responsibility."

    A calamity at Dante and Randall's shops sends them looking for new horizons - but they ultimately settle at Mooby's, a fictional Disney-McDonald's-style fast-food empire.

    R
    ...( read more)EVIEW
    Kevin Smith's follow up to his own superb low-budget comedy is a true delight and one of the most satisfying sequels of recent times. Brian O' Halloran and Jeff Anderson are back as Dante and Randal, only this time they've moved on from the convenience store scene and into the fast food world. However, their friendship is at risk, what with Dante all set to leave town and get married to a woman whom he's not even sure he really loves. In fact, maybe he's better off getting together with his boss and close friend Becky (Rosario Dawson)?Clerks II pulls off the feat of being hilariously rude and genuinely sweet in equal measures; Dawson in particular makes for a lovely, refreshing addition to the cast. Jason Mewes and Smith return as slackers Jay and Silent Bob; the former enjoys a hilarious moment parodying a certain scene from The Silence of the Lambs. The profane script is first-rate, often extremely filthy and very, very funny, while an agreeable element of sentiment makes this a particularly upbeat and spirited experience too.
  • July 3, 2009
    I always put my foot in my mouth just a bit when talking about comedy, especially modern comedy. I insist that I have no taste for the modern style of overly-raunchy comedy, and find none of it funny. This isn't strictly true (though I do strictly hate Will Ferrell and Ben Stille...( read more)r, only making exceptions for movies they are in, never for their roles in them--unless they are, perhaps, not intended to be comedic) because I do like Kevin Smith's movies. I freely admit to a strong distaste for Chasing Amy (for reasons that would spoil the movie if you haven't seen it, but that are well known to anyone who brings it up around me) and find both Mallrats and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back leave me shrugging, neither loving nor disliking them, but sort of letting them be reasonably enjoyable. I really like Clerks. and Dogma quite a bit though, so I was happy to go see Clerks II in theatres--obviously, though, this was three years ago. I picked the DVD up about two ago and got around to re-watching it just recently.

    Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) are still hanging around Leonardo, NJ ten years after the events of Clerks., but when a fire takes out the QuickStop, they move on to fast food chain Mooby's. Despite ten years passage, the two of them have not changed an awful lot, Dante being insistent on complaining about his life failing to meet the expectations he has of it and Randal turning up his nose at anything and everything, but especially the "normal" life. Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) have taken up the Mooby's as their place to hang out, lean on a wall, sell pot and dance to music. Dante, though, is now engaged to Emma (Jennifer Schwalbach, later Jennifer Schwalbach Smith--Kevin's wife), the ex-prom queen who has decided she is tired of going through the "hot guys" and settled on the "nice guy." There's a bit of friction though, as Dante and Randal's boss is Becky (Rosario Dawson), with whom Dante is clearly pretty close, and who has a pretty clear interest in Dante. Added to the mix, though, is the young, sheltered Elias (Trevor Fehrman), who is less-than-prepared for Dante's willingness to discuss anything, nevermind Randal's willingness to open any topic for discussion. Dante's engagement, though, makes this his last day in New Jersey, which is straining things even further--but doesn't stop the periodic flow of customers that are so familiar to the pair of them, and always a source of derision for Randal.

    This is the right way to do a sequel. Smith makes a script that contains the same characters in a similar environment and a similar sort of life situation, but he tweaks elements of these to both fit the changed characters and to bring something new to the film. But the characters aren't abandoned. Randal and Dante are still themselves, as are Jay and Silent Bob, pop culture references (especially geeky ones) are just as present, as are frank discussions of sex and especially taboo and, uh, unusual subtopics thereof. The fact that Dante and Randal are still themselves does not mean they haven't changed though. They're older, dealing with new things in different ways--and some things in exactly the same ways. It's just the right mix of faithfulness to the original that ties it to it with just the right addition of new material to feel fresh. It also doesn't make the mistake (at least, it's usually a mistake) of looking like it's deliberately trying to "outdo" the original. It certainly does in some respects (the going away present for Dante would be the obvious way in which it does...) but it never feels like it's deliberately reaching for that.

    O'Halloran and Anderson are also improved as actors--in the original they were amateurs, still rough around the edges, though nicely settled into their characters. They're even more settled this time, and it ends up sort of "meta," with actors grown into roles that have grown in and of themselves. Both still have the marks of their roots, but as before it makes them more endearing. A lot of this is, of course, credit to Smith's writing, which is sort of the raunchier version of John Hughes, if you will--I don't mean that as literal or exact comparison, because I hate those comparisons. Still, it's something like that because his characters are always familiar despite their excessiveness. They're endearing even when they're jerks, they're relatable and sympathetic even when they're exasperating. One character can hate another and we can like both, one can treat everyone like dirt and say horrific things (obviously, I mean Randal) and we still like him because Smith and Anderson build real, solid characters into this, but without going too far with the drama and drawing the tone too far outside comedy.

    It's a worthy sequel, something that doesn't happen often, and happens even less often with comedies and even LESS often with small independent ones. It was a risk, but it works out. Is it better than the original? Not really a relevant comparison. They're too different despite their similarities, because they are made so differently and about different things. One is coming into the "real world" and being aimless, one is having been that aimless person and realizing that things aren't just going to change of their own accord, no matter how long you wait. Oh, and it has King Diamond's music in it. I was intensely excited by this in the theatre, though there was no one I saw it with (and few people since) to explain this excitement to. It's awesome, though, to hear his voice coming out of a theatre's sound system, without a doubt.
  • December 14, 2008
    Not nearly as good as the first but still far better then most other films.
  • October 16, 2008
    Not as good as the first. Or any of Smith's other movies for that matter. But Jay is hilarious as always and I love the dance sequence in the middle. When it is funny it is very funny. The love story was silly, but if you really think about it, it is more of a friendship love...( read more) story than a romantic one. Also I think it is wonderful that Kevin Smith loves his wife, but that doesnt mean that she can act or that we want to see her try.
  • November 9, 2009
    This is freaking hilarious.
  • October 29, 2009
    A worthy sequel that adds to the legacy more than it detracts. A must see!
  • October 23, 2009
    Didnt like this Clerks either but better then the 1st
  • October 21, 2009
    funny ass hell! I like all of Kevin Smith's work
  • October 14, 2009
    Lowbrow and moronic just what u would expect from Jay & Bob.
    *Warning excessive use of gratuitous manginina!

Critic Reviews


July 24, 2006
Roger Ebert, Ebert & Roeper

It has a more authentic everyday feel than a lot of movies. But it's also very talky and philosophical for a comedy, which would be okay, except the philosophy is kind of shallow. full review

July 24, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Smith, an inherent optimist, has made a movie full of crude humor that also manages to explore the enduring qualities of friendship. full review

July 21, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

The patchy work of a director stuck in an uncomfortable purgatory between his old-school comedic crassness and newfound dramatic mushiness. full review

July 21, 2006
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Not that Butch and Sundance (or even Harold and Kumar) are going to sweat their place in the buddy movie hall of fame. full review

July 21, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

All is well with the Clerks world when these stoners take the screen... and prove that guys can grow old and stay immature forever. full review

July 21, 2006
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Clerks II is neither the best nor the worst installment in Smith's Jersey-centric 'askewniverse,' but fans will find plenty to feed their obsession. full review

July 21, 2006
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

For casual fans of writer-director Kevin Smith, his new film, Clerks II, feels a little like the new Pirates of the Caribbean -- a similar wet fizzle of a sequel for sequel's sake -- but what do we know? full review

July 20, 2006
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

What makes Clerks II both winning and (somewhat unexpectedly) moving is its fidelity to the original Clerks ethic of hanging out, talking trash and refusing all worldly ambition.

July 20, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

For a guy who will evermore be associated with slackers, Kevin Smith is quite the dynamo. full review

View more Clerks II reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • leladragon
    January 2, 2008
    I think its great how they have Jay & Silent Bob all rich because they stopped smoking weed.
  • flynny77
    July 19, 2007
    lmao this film is great! when i saw it there was just me and my mates in the cinema lol! we laughed all the way through it =D
  • chellebella2000
    July 7, 2007
    Sex crazed & retard strong! Just watch out for Listerine.
  • thelovecats
    July 7, 2007
    of course that who liked this film doesnt like the first one! Kevin Smith totally lost it on this one, none stop and too much jokes about a theme that was not even funny and predictable (who saw chasing amy would see that is not a thing that kevin smith do)...
  • BloodGoreAndViolence
    February 17, 2007
    oh dude, this movie rules! definately funnier than the first one! a laughfest!
    my favorite part : when (fuck, i forgot his name in the movie) Jeff mocks Elias and that guy's LOTR obsession. it's the 'preciouses' and the LOTR review that he gives which is just awesome!
    i couldn't stop laughing! nor could my friend. =D
  • MizasterJ
    January 21, 2007
    The cast of offbeat misfit characters dish out a mind bending tale of drama, comedy, romance, and all out absurdity. Everyone’s favorite jersey boys the drug dealin duo Jay and Silent Bob are back, in the sequel to their big screen debut. Jay and Bob haven’t missed a beat and are back chillin in full swing. If you’re looking for a comedy that will remind you that even though your life may suck, there are plenty of other unlucky bastards that suffer just as bad if not worse and through it all still manage to get some enjoyment, then look no further. You will soon forget about the terrible day you had and learn to laugh at life’s awkwardness. The jokes are delivered fantastically and keep rolling through out the film constantly knocking the audience back with outlandish behavior. Like a disturbingly erotic donkey show, you won’t be able to turn away or forget what you witness, and more importantly you won’t want to forget.
    Goodbye horses.
  • MizasterJ
    January 20, 2007
    For all the geeks, stoners, racists, dropouts, wannabes, perverts, and drunkards.. Not to mention a couple other hundred types of creatures that make the world go round, this movie is just for you my friends. Clerks 2 turns vulgarity and obscenity into an art form reaching new heights of verbal and visual creativity. It's so offensive at times that you can't possibly take it seriously. if you wish you could go back and relive your high school or college experience jackassing around with your best buds, then your gonna like what you see here.
  • darthezekiel2517
    December 26, 2006
    This was one of the best movies of 2006 by far. It's a pure classic. Randal, Dante, Jay & Silent Bob are all back for one last time (or are they?) in what could be the final chapter in the View Askew universe. It's an instant classic. It is a must see for fans of Clerks and Jay & Silent Bob Strke Back, Star Wars fans, Lord of the Rings fans, and anybody who just wants to have a flat-out good time. It's hilarious and heart warming at the same time. Check this movie out because you'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll have a great time and you won't regret seeing it. Clerks 2 gets a 10/10!
  • bigjew
    November 27, 2006
    hahaha it comes out on DVD in 9 minutes but ill just buy it tomarrow cause im goin to bed. this is random porch monkey bullshit.
  • onehotmotherf
    November 14, 2006
    Much preferred this one to the first absolutely hilarious, the LOTR/SW debate is mind bendingly funny, my favourite bit is still the scene beetween Randall and Elias and his girlfriends pussy troll, awesome film and Elias is soooo funny

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Clerks II Trivia


  • What movies features Randal and Dante working at a Mooby's restauraunt?  Answer »
  • What actress was in these movies? Sin City, Clerks II, and Rent  Answer »
  • Which action figure does Rosario Dawson play with at her desk in Clerks II?  Answer »
  • Who ordered the "donkey show" in Clerks II?  Answer »

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