Clerks II directed by Kevin Smith

After making a slight departure with Jersey Girl, Kevin Smith returns to the world he created, and the film that got him noticed with Clerks II.  Featuring most of the cast from the original film, a bigger budget and the same solid writing that has encapsulated all his previous films, Clerks II fares a lot better than one would expect.

Not the greatest film in the Smith cannon,  Clerks II is still a fun watch with some hilarious and outrageous scenes that need to be seen to believed.  In a return to his early style (Clerks., Mallrats and Chasing Amy), Clerks II is based around characters standing around and talking. Unlike the original film though, the sequel has more of a story than before.  Both Dante and Randall are back, but this time they are older (maybe a little wiser) and are working at a fast food joint rather than a convenience store. Their characters move through a story that gives them more to do than spout off insults and jokes and allows the viewers the chance to feel something for the characters and understand them better than they did before.

The acting is, like Clerks, okay by the two leads, but Rosario Dawson outshines everyone in her role and makes it hard pressed for anyone not to fall in love with her.  She really does light up the screen every time she appears and makes for a great character to play against both Dante and Randall.  And as usual, Smith has littered his film with cameos from people like Wanda Sykes, Ben Affleck and Jason Lee.

While not a original as Clerks. (how can it be being a sequel for one thing and being 12 years after the original for another), Clerks II is still really funny and will have you laughing from the opening credits to the end credits.  Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings, a welcome return for Jay and Silent Bob, and a donkey make for some uproarious scenes that rival the first film for more quotable and memorable scenes. And again, unlike Clerks., the sequel contains a couple moments (not many) of drama that makes for a more well rounded arc than said original.

The editing is a lot tighter than Clerks. and rightfully making the film feel a lot more professional than the original. Shot in colour, using more than one location, strong camera movements, a musical number and a few special effects makes Clerks II a stronger film in those regards than Clerks. but the script overall isn't as original, funny or clever as it's predecessor.  Smith does a great job behind the scenes of this film, showing what a strong confident director he has become over the years, and although he still wouldn't be considered an award winning director, he has learned to handle all aspects of the production quite well since his beginnings as a director.

Film Rating: 70%

Breakdown (How Clerks II scored 70%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 7 out of 10
Re-playability: 7 out of 10

Originality: 6 out of 10
Costumes: 6 out of 10

Directing: 7 out of 10

Editing: 8 out of 10

Acting: 7 out of 10
Music: 7 out of 10
Script: 8 out of 10