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center stage over the other classic trilogy (Star Wars, of course), which Randall finds disgusting and argues about with his nineteen-year-old co-worker. (His fifteen-second re-enactment of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy is probably one of the best parts of the film.)
Meanwhile, we see Dante interact with the Mooby's manager, Becky, played by the way-too-hot-for-this-movie Rosario Dawson. Her attractiveness is fine from a marketing standpoint and certainly not her fault, but I actually thought it hindered the film a little. The best thing about the Clerks is that they're completely real people and they look like completely real people. And even though some past Smith alums drop by and make cameos as customers (Ben Affleck, Jason Lee), none of the main characters are famous. The presence of Rosario Dawson kind of ruins the whole façade and reminds us, every time we look at her, that we're watching not a manager of a fast food chain, but a movie star.
And, in turn, that makes the whole Dante-Becky relationship that develops pretty unbelievable. It doesn't help that it involves such off-the-shelf scenes as when Dante says he's worried about dancing at his wedding, and Becky makes him get up and dance with her. But then Kevin Smith, sensing the danger, doubles-back and turns the whole thing into a gleeful mockery of musical sequences set to the Jackson Five, complete with a dancing ensemble.
While the whole will-Dante-stay-with-his-fiancé-or-end-up-with-Becky plot is pretty lame, the film does earn some of its sappiness with its ending, which centers the movie back on the relationship that it should be centered on: the friendship of Dante and Randall. Brian O'Halloran, who plays Dante, is -- let's face it -- not that good of an actor. But he means well, and he's never better than when arguing with Jeff Anderson's Randall, who probably makes the strongest impression out of everyone in the film.
Because of him, the ending, with his thoughts on how you measure fulfillment when you're a fast-food clerk at thirty-three, is actually strangely touching. The movie ends up getting resolved in probably the best possible way I could think of. And no, I'm not talking about the donkey show.
Movie Grade: B+
Synopsis:
The sequel to the 1994 independent hit picks up 10 years later. It's about what happens when that lazy, 20-something malaise lasts into your 30s. It's time for the Dante and Randal to actually grow up and do something more than just sit around and dissect pop culture and talk about sex.
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