Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Kevin Smith is quite the Renaissance man. It's not because he wrote, directed and starred in Clerks II. Instead, it's because he managed to squeeze infidelity, pregnancy, male nudity, drugs (and lack thereof), prison, Ben Affleck, a lengthy discussion of the term "porch monkey," Transformers, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, a musical number and "interspecies erotica" into the film's brief 97 minutes.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, too. Clerks II picks up where the 1994 film left off, with Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) heading off to another assumingly mundane day at the Quick Stop. This time it's not that he's not even supposed to be there today, it's that he can't be -- the place is on fire.

Of course, Dante's world hasn't crumbled, but most of the memories of the first movie have. Flash to one year later, and Dante and sidekick Randal (Jeff Anderson) are working in a fast-food hell named Mooby's. It's Dante's last day, as he is moving to Florida with his impossibly hot girlfriend (Jennifer Schwalbach aka Mrs. Kevin Smith). As if that girlfriend isn't unbelievable enough, his boss Becky (Rosario Dawson) seems to also carry a torch.

While some of the same wit from the original peeks through, the film relies too much on raunch to entertain its audience. Prepare yourself for a lot of profanity, Jason Mewes' funny, but very nude impression of Silence of the Lambs villan Buffalo Bill, and a good old-fashioned donkey show. Also, what happened to the customers? Sure, we want to hear the main characters pontificate about taking back the term "porch monkey," but the Quick Stop clientele was also part of the original funny. Here we are led to believe that Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, Kevin Weisman (Alias), and Wanda Sykes make up all of Mooby's customer base.

Bottom line: Clerks II is a lot like the fast food its main characters are serving: It's quick, it's cheap, and it's hard to stay away. However, it's also very bad for you.

Check out Joe Lozito's review of the theatrical release of Clerks II.

The Picture

Mooby's purple uniforms are about the only thing that pops in this 1.85:1 transfer. According to the commentary, this movie is exactly how Smith wanted it to look. Job well done? Sure, but we don't have to spend $35 on it. He may have ditched the black and white, but Smith apparently wanted to create a match with its predecessor. The result is a little gritty and flat, which stinks since there are plenty of colors present.

The Sound

Clerks II doesn't have a lot of boom to it. Still, the TrueHD 5.1 sound does a very nice job of delivering the dialogue, which is non-stop and often rambling. There are other portions of the movie where the sound surrounds you -- almost uncomfortably. Two notable moments are the donkey show and the inclusion of the Jackson 5's "ABC" during the dance number.

The Extras

Three commentaries! A 90-minute making-of featurette! Ten different production diaries! Smith certainly didn't horde any extras. If you dare, you can kick off the special features before the first minute of the movie. That's where Smith stuffed one of many optional intros, which features the director and producer Scott Mosier rambling a quickie recap. There's enough here to choke a donkey, or at least satisfy even the hard-core Clerks fan. Aside from commentary, deleted scenes and other features to go with the movie, there is an entire second disc. That's where you'll find the aforementioned 90-minute making-of featurette, which is interesting, but almost as long as the actual movie.

Final Thoughts

One minute, there's a donkey getting blown, the next Randal is on the brink of tears. Meh. While it's nice to see the old characters get together (and in color!), for anyone other than a die-hard Kevin Smith fan, Clerks II is a rental at best and not quite worthy of your high-def dollars.

Where to Buy:

• Clerks II on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Product Details

• Actors: Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran, Rosario Dawson, Trevor Fehrman, Jennifer Schwalbach, Jason Mewes
• Director: Kevin Smith
• Audio/Languages: TrueHD 5.1 (English), Dolby 5.1 (English, French)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 2
• Rating: R
• Studio: Weinstein Company
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: February 3, 2009
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• List Price: $34.95
• Extras: 
  • Feature Commentary with Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier, and Director of Photography David Klein
  • Feature Commentary with Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier, and Actors Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran and Jennifer Schwalbach
  • Podcast Commentary with Director Kevin Smith, Producer Scott Mosier and Actor Jeff Anderson
  • Deleted Scenes Prepared by Kevin Smith (with Intro)
  • A Closer Look at Interspecies Erotica
  • BD Live
  • Back to the Well: Clerks II - A 90-Minute Documentary (with Intro)
  • Hilarious Bloopers
  • 10 Train Wrecks: Video Production Diaries (with Intro)
  • Clerks II VH1 Movie Special