Why I Don't Think Clerks II Will Suck

I have to admit, when I first heard the news that Kevin Smith, Lord of Slackerdom, was commencing work on a sequel to his first film, the low-budget indie masterpiece, Clerks, I was not optimistic. Upon learning that Smith's working title for the sequel was Passion of the Clerks (a title which has since mysteriously, but probably for legal reasons, disappeared), I started feeling a little better about the whole idea.

But it wasn't until I read this script excerpt that I felt assured that Clerks II would, indeed, become a must-see addition to my list of summer films.

I think most of Smith's fans feel like he must be just like them. Slacker lifestyle, procrastinator extraordinaire (particularly when it comes to completing his comic-book writing assignments), smartass, cunning linguist (especially in regard to creative uses of profanity), unashamed to declare his love for geeky things like comics and action figures. At the same time, Smith has all the accoutrements of a successful life: trophy wife, kid named after a Batman villain, uncompromising Hollywood director assignments, and writer for Daredevil and Spider-Man.

So his return (some might say step backward) to the world of Clerks seems to me less like a sellout (or a full-scale retreat after the disastrous reviews of his last film, Jersey Girl, a film that, by Hollywood standards of treacly romantic comedies, was perhaps not as bad as the press made it out to be, but, by Kevin Smith standards, was, er, unexpectedly cutesy) than a well-deserved self-homage to the glorious days of his misspent youth.

Some might argue that he already held this parade with Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, a film probably more remembered for its cameos than its script. But check out the recently released trailers (especially the internet-only version) for Clerks II if you want to get an idea of how Smith makes use of the first film without making a mockery of it (unlike, say, a certain First Episode that shall remain nameless here).

At this point, then, I only have two major concerns:

1. Clerks II shares its release date with one potential blockbuster: the uncomfortably hyped and review-proof Snakes on a Plane (whose audience will probably be made up predominantly of the exact same people who will want to see Clerks II).

2. Kevin Smith was once the Great White Hope of Slackerdom. His irreverence tends to mask his directorial skills, and his more daring films (like Chasing Amy and, to some extent, Dogma) contain some great examples of Smith's ear for dialogue and his ability to surprise his audience. Jersey Girl may have been another of his attempts at this, but if Smith is to truly fulfill his promise as a director who will be remembered after the death of his/my generation, he needs to continue stretching himself, even if his devoted fans become confused or even offended by his choices. But with the arrival of Clerks II, I'm not sure that's an option anymore.

But fuck it. I can't wait.