Mallrats (1995)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Matthew S

  
  17 years ago I was around 10 years old, magic eyes were in every daily newspaper comics section, vhs tapes were all we knew, the Sega Genesis was the racy video game machine, and punk rock was beginning its heyday. There was barely an internet and there was no e-commerce, nor were… More
  17 years ago I was around 10 years old, magic eyes were in every daily newspaper comics section, vhs tapes were all we knew, the Sega Genesis was the racy video game machine, and punk rock was beginning its heyday. There was barely an internet and there was no e-commerce, nor were there shopping centers like we have now; there were only malls. Malls with arcades, pet stores and comic book stores. Mallrats, from 1995, captures this moment in time. This is a very stupid movie, but Kevin Smith does to "stupid comedy" what Quintin Tarantino does to "violence" -- adds an entertaining, signature style and atmosphere (and off-plot dialogue of random observations). They are both confident in their unorthodox approaches, doing things no other filmmakers have the guts to try or sense to pull off (Did I really just do a magic eye image? ..Yes, and that was no sailboat!). This movie knows what it is, bad acting included, and it doesn't care if I don't like it - it was only made for those that would. If I had seen this as an adult 17 years ago, I likely would have thought it banal and given it 2 stars. But seeing it now, well I guess I'm one of the lucky ones!

• Graham J

  
  Though this a brainless, disappointing follow-up to Clerks, it's still enjoyable just to enter back into the world of Kevin Smith.

• Melvin W

  
  Brodie: Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some bastard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent - I don't care which one - but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator. … More
  Brodie: Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some bastard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent - I don't care which one - but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator.  "It's mall or nothing" Okay, so Mallrats isn't Clerks or Chasing Amy; it is still funny and entertaining in ways only a Kevin Smith film can be. Filled with foul language and gross out dialogue; Mallrats is a movie that is pretty much identical to Clerks in concept. The film gives us two friends, who hang out at one location and talk all day. Occasionally something happens, like an elevator fuck, but for the most part it is just an average day in the life of two best friend losers. Both T.S. and Brodie have been dumped by their girlfriends on the same morning. After meeting up and learning that the other has had the same misfortune, they decide to go hang out at the mall. There they run into a cast of characters. There's a guy who stares at a picture all day trying to see the 3-D image. There's a 15 year old genius who is writing a book on males sex drive. Stan Lee is having a comic signing in the mall. Brodie's archenemy, Shannon, works in a store there and is making the moves on his now ex-girlfriend. And of course Jay and Silent Bob are there hanging out, doing nothing.  This movie doesn't reach the hilariousness of Clerks, but for a second directorial project, it is pretty good. It has the great indie feel that all of Smith's works have. It is packed full of all of the entertainment Smith loves like comic books and Star Wars. In fact, the whole movie Silent Bob is trying to do the Jedi mind trick.  Mallrats isn't great, but if you have seen some of Smith's other films and liked them, odds are you will like this one too. If you have seen and disliked movies like Clerks and Chasing Amy, even Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back; I can pretty much guarantee you won't like this one anymore. In fact, you'll probably like it less. 

• Matt G

  
  Brodie: Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, 'the Whale,' they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime. Here is the perfect example of a totally underrated film from legendary writer/director Kevin Smith. I'll admit it, I hated it the first viewing,… More
  Brodie: Breakfasts come and go, Rene, but Hartford, 'the Whale,' they only beat Vancouver once, maybe twice in a lifetime. Here is the perfect example of a totally underrated film from legendary writer/director Kevin Smith. I'll admit it, I hated it the first viewing, but I thought to myself "It's Smith, it can't be terrible." So I watched it again and you know what? I loved it. Mallrats is one of those films that gets funnier and funnier after each viewing. The biggest problem in this film are the first fifteen minutes, which were boring and unnecessary. Otherwise, I laughed a lot during this film, and it's one of my favorites ever made, and how could you not love Jay and Silent Bob? It's no Clerks, but it is certainly something great. Seriously, it is one of my favorite films, one of the best. Watch the 60 minute deleted scenes, they are great and add a little side-story. The commentary is great too. I'm just ranting on everything that is great, and I love it, because it's fun writing reviews for perfect films. Snoochie Boochies! Highly recommended.

• Derek D

  
  Kevin Smith's indie flick about two friends who head to the mall after being dumped by their girlfriends. Their, they slide their way onto a dating gameshow run by T.S.'s ex-girlfriend's father. As usual, Jay and Silent Bob are probably the best thing about this film,… More
  Kevin Smith's indie flick about two friends who head to the mall after being dumped by their girlfriends. Their, they slide their way onto a dating gameshow run by T.S.'s ex-girlfriend's father. As usual, Jay and Silent Bob are probably the best thing about this film, but Jason Lee is awesome as well.

• AJ V

  
  I love this movie, it's hilarious and so much fun! It's probably my favourite Kevin Smith film. Anyone who loves hanging out at the mall, like me, will love this movie.

• Drake T

  
  A silly romedy that caters to comicbook geeks. If it weren't for Smith's particular brand of style/humor I'm not sure if I could have sit through this bizarrely formulaic and ultimately unimaginative love story. It's entertaining with it's laughs but with… More
  A silly romedy that caters to comicbook geeks. If it weren't for Smith's particular brand of style/humor I'm not sure if I could have sit through this bizarrely formulaic and ultimately unimaginative love story. It's entertaining with it's laughs but with little substance to hang it on I just can't recommend this film to anyone in confidence.

• Jeff "

  
  Kevin Smith's second directorial offering is a less accomplished film than the impressive Clerks. However the film does manage to have a few good laughs despite the amateur script writing. It's clear that Mallrats is an effort from an up and coming director, and it does… More
  Kevin Smith's second directorial offering is a less accomplished film than the impressive Clerks. However the film does manage to have a few good laughs despite the amateur script writing. It's clear that Mallrats is an effort from an up and coming director, and it does manage to have comical moments, and be lots of fun. But it's clear that Kevin Smithis still trying to work his formula at crafting a truly unique comedy. His efforts would pay off in later works such as Dogma and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. Mallrats has a simple, but effective story. Like many of Smith's works, the film is clad with insane dialogue and slapslict humour. Mallrats is a fun comedy, not perfect but definitely not bad whatsoever. Theres room for improvement, and I think Smith realized that as well, and he would craft better films as he progressed. But it's all part of starting to direct, right? Mallrats is a good sophomore effort, and manages to make you laugh. The film is interesting to watch because it shows how Smith has evolved over the years and today he has some of the most memorable comedies under his belt (Dogma, Zack &Miri make a porno and Clerks II) all terrific films. Mallrats is a funny and pretty plotless film that is is one of Smith's overlooked films. A fun film that has plenty of laughs. Smith manages to make a plotless film interesting with it's unique characters and humour.

• Spencer S

  
  Kevin Smith is the nitty gritty of our society, a director with a knack for the frat boy mentality and the grunge movement. He's made some gems we can all be proud of, but his best work was in this film, centering around mall trollers and the mischief they achieve.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Another Kevin Smith movie with a boring lead actor, but that is saved, once more, by Jason Lee. My days wasting time in malls probably help here to make this a bit more likeable. The jokes are flat, and just feel like rehashed material from some 90s sitcom. Overall, yeah, not a… More
  Another Kevin Smith movie with a boring lead actor, but that is saved, once more, by Jason Lee. My days wasting time in malls probably help here to make this a bit more likeable. The jokes are flat, and just feel like rehashed material from some 90s sitcom. Overall, yeah, not a complete trainwreck, but nothing to remember.

• xGary X

  
  Two suburban slackers are both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day, so they decide to hang out at the local mall to cheer themselves up. And that's it. Kevin Smith's second film obviously had a much bigger budget, and to be honest all it did was take away any excuses… More
  Two suburban slackers are both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day, so they decide to hang out at the local mall to cheer themselves up. And that's it. Kevin Smith's second film obviously had a much bigger budget, and to be honest all it did was take away any excuses he had for the severe lack of skill he displays behind the camera. He desperately tries to recapture the easygoing charm of Clerks, but to be honest that film was seriously propped up by the Gen X zeitgeist of the time in which it was made and that being taken away, the whole thing just falls flat on its face. The dialogue is clumsy and unnatural and peppered with Smith's trademark pop culture references, but without any semblance of structure, plot or even ideas to hang them on, it just comes across as an aimless, witless, self indulgent sitcom with some studio pleasing schmaltz tacked on the end to try and paper over the complete lack of substance. There's no insight into the characters or their relationships and as a result they all come across as self obsessed, immature, obnoxious jerks. Not as spectacularly dreadful as Clerks 2, but it's childish, vacuous and the laughs are next to non existent.

• KJ P

  
  It's funny, but way too stupid to like that much!

• Michael S

  
  Smith's most underrated.

• Conner R

  
  Mallrats is by no stretch a great movie, but I wouldn't say that it was trying to be. It's a movie for comic book fans and people who linger around malls and have horrible concepts of love and relationships. It has a lot of great conversations that you would never think… More
  Mallrats is by no stretch a great movie, but I wouldn't say that it was trying to be. It's a movie for comic book fans and people who linger around malls and have horrible concepts of love and relationships. It has a lot of great conversations that you would never think you'd get to hear on screen, such as: "Can Mr. Fantastic stretch every part of his body? I mean, every part?"

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"They're not there to shop. - They're not there to work. - They're just there."</i> Both dumped by their girlfriends, two best friends seek refuge in the local mall. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
  <i>"They're not there to shop. - They're not there to work. - They're just there."</i> Both dumped by their girlfriends, two best friends seek refuge in the local mall. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Obviously an early view into the View Askew world, Mallrats suffers some from inexperienced writing and direction from Kevin Smith himself. There are enough funny and original jokes to make the film worth watching (as well as several Looney Tunes, comic book, and video game references), but 14 years after its release, many of the jokes have been duplicated, reduplicated, and played out. The dialog is unrealistic, which makes the movie straddle the line between classy and campy, sometimes charmingly, sometimes irritatingly. In fact, this movie will probably make anyone laugh at least once, be charmed at least once, and be irritated at least once. I dare you not to.

• Chris W

  
  This movie is a bit of a mess, but it's really funny, highly entertaining, wiity, and insightful. It is a step down compared to the previous film and some of the later ones, but this movie isn't as bad as it's made out to be. Sophomore slump? Yeah, sure, but it's… More
  This movie is a bit of a mess, but it's really funny, highly entertaining, wiity, and insightful. It is a step down compared to the previous film and some of the later ones, but this movie isn't as bad as it's made out to be. Sophomore slump? Yeah, sure, but it's still a good film nonetheless.

• Mike S

  
  Kevin Smith movies sure are easy to identify. You got the sharp dialogue, sex and nudity, star wars/comic book references, hot supporting actresses (in this case Claire Forlani and Shannen Doherty), and of course, last but not least, the ever unchangable Jay and Silent Bob. A formula… More
  Kevin Smith movies sure are easy to identify. You got the sharp dialogue, sex and nudity, star wars/comic book references, hot supporting actresses (in this case Claire Forlani and Shannen Doherty), and of course, last but not least, the ever unchangable Jay and Silent Bob. A formula for success if you ask me, and one that always makes his films a joy to watch. As for how this stands next to his other creations, I'd say it ends up somewhere in the middle. Not his best work, but not his worst either. Either way, it's a lot of fun.

• Jani H

  
  "I love the smell of commerce in the morning." 'Mallrats' is a film I love dearly. It reminds me of my teenaged life, hanging around with my friends at the mall, reading comics and playing videogames. And of course not dating because what hot chick would want a… More
  "I love the smell of commerce in the morning." 'Mallrats' is a film I love dearly. It reminds me of my teenaged life, hanging around with my friends at the mall, reading comics and playing videogames. And of course not dating because what hot chick would want a geek like that? Life was easy, no troubles. Didn't even have to read to any exams cause I'm so fuckin' talented... NOT! (Seen 'Borat' way to many times...) Kevin Smith, one of my favourite writers and directors, is one exceptional talent when it comes to movies and comic books. I'm sure that most of you know and have seen at least some of his movies. But he has also written 'Spider-Man', 'Daredevil' and 'Batman' comics. And of course the 'Superman Lives' script that every fan should read... Kevin Smith's love for comics comes up frequently in 'Mallrats'. Even Stan Lee, the man behind Marvel comics, does a cameo in the movie. And this time Stan Lee ain't just a weird guy doing something something (yes, I wrote that twice on purpose) but playing with himself.. sorry, playing himself. 'Mallrats' and 'Clerks' are Kevin Smith's first two features. The latter one is a genuine classic but this movie ain't bad at all. 'Mallrats' features Jason Lee, a man I just can't hate. He ain't a proper comedian nor an educated actor but there's something I like about him. And it started with this film. Jason Lee is one of the biggest reasons why 'Mallrats' should be seen. Sometimes it's hard to understand that a laid-back skater turned actor would become my favourite Karma driven guy on the magical box they call... TW? TV is it? 'Mallrats' is full of good dialogue and humor. This is one of the movies that actually sounds almost too realistic. Have had similar discussions with my friends several times. Just haven't participated in any dating shows at the mall... But don't get me wrong, 'Mallrats' isn't totally flawless. There are some loose scenes that should have been taken away, for example the "boat in the painting scene". Didn't work for me and some Jay and Silent Bob scenes went a bit over the top. Maybe there wasn't enough good material for a full length feature? 'Mallrats' is and will forever be one of my favourite Kevin Smith movies. Although it has Shannon Doherty in it, the pain of it all is reset by such movie idols like the before mentioned Jay and Silent Bob. Jason Mewes is soooo good. In fact, I'd like to hang at the mall with him, be his Silent Bob. Or not, but do understand that 'Mallrats' is the perfect movie for all movie, comic book and videogame fans. Please do check it out. Just for the fun of it. "There is something out there that can help us ease our simultanious double loss. - What? Ritual suicide? No, you idiot, the fucking mall!"

• Cassandra M

  
  Many people are down on this movie, but I found it funny and enjoyable. I wish the movie was a little bit longer and there was room for more stuff it seems. Jason Lee does a great job as Brodie the bum Bruce, Jeremy London stinks as T.S. Quint. Mallrats has memorable lines and scenes.… More
  Many people are down on this movie, but I found it funny and enjoyable. I wish the movie was a little bit longer and there was room for more stuff it seems. Jason Lee does a great job as Brodie the bum Bruce, Jeremy London stinks as T.S. Quint. Mallrats has memorable lines and scenes. Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith are stellar as well as the rest of the cast of characters except for Ben Affleck who I can do without in this movie. I think you will like this film if you enjoy the mall.

• Chris G

  
  Kevin Smith's 1995 follow up to Clerks that basically uses the same formula to tell another tale about Leonardo, NJ. T.S. and Brodie have both been dumped by their girlfriends and go to the mall to contemplate their lives, what went wrong, and how they can get their ladies back.… More
  Kevin Smith's 1995 follow up to Clerks that basically uses the same formula to tell another tale about Leonardo, NJ. T.S. and Brodie have both been dumped by their girlfriends and go to the mall to contemplate their lives, what went wrong, and how they can get their ladies back. Hilarious and out of the ordinary situations consume this one day in suburban Babylon. Though not quite as good as Clerks Mallrats is a hilarious film with conversations that you've had with others, you just wouldn't admit it.

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