Kevin Smith’s first sequel Clerks 2 is now available on Blu-ray. Clerks 2 is the 6th film in the Jersey Chronicles movie series written by Kevin Smith.

Story

The film continues the adventures of our favorite characters Dante, Randal, Jay and Silent Bob. After Randal causes the destruction of the Quick Stop and RST Video rental store, the two men take jobs at the local Mooby’s eatery. Even though Dante and Randal have moved to a new location, Jay and Silent Bob are still around and up to their usual antics. The two were busted for dealing drugs and when through drug treatment…so even though they are drug free they still deal to everyone else. Additionally the two must deal with co-worker Elias, the extremely inept teen who Randal has decided to constantly pick on.

We learn early in the film that Dante is planning to move away with his fiance Emma and start living the life he was always meant to lead…but as we (and Dante) know, things don’t always go as planned. Dante has formed a unique relationship with Becky, the manager of the Mooby’s, to the point where the two of them had a one night stand. Becky is reluctant to see Dante go but tries to cheer him up and help him learn some dance moves (via a nice little dance number on top of the Mooby’s building). During the sequence both Dante and Becky make a confession.

Randal (using his infinite wisdom) decides to throw Dante a bachelor/going away party AND to hold it after hours at the store. He enlists the services of a traveling Donkey Show called “Kinky Kelly and the Sexy Stud”. During the party everyone finds out that Becky is pregnant (everyone including Emma who shows up unexpectedly) and breaks up with Dante. When the police arrive on site they arrest the guys who are then put in a cell and must await the charges.

Dante blames Randal for everything and the two have a big fight about their friendship. Randal points out how things were much better when they worked at the Quick Stop, and says that the two should go into business together. Jay and Bob offer to fund the new venture with the money they received from their movie deal (see Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). Upon being freed from jail the men rebuild the old business and resume a piece of their past while having the ability to make changes and have a positive future. Suffice it to say, Dante is supposed to still be there today…and the day after…and the day after that.

Special Features

-Feature Commentary with Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, and David Klein

-Feature Commentary with Kevin Smith, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Jason Mewes, Brian O’Halloran and Jennifer Schwalbach

-Podcast with Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier and Jeff Anderson

-Deleted Scenes Prepared by Kevin Smith (with intro)

-A Closer Look at Interspecies Erotica

-BD LIVE

-Back to the Wall: Clerks 2 Documentary

-Bloopers

-10 Train Wrecks: Production Diary

-Clerks 2 VH1 Movie Special

Overall

It is very rare when a sequel, let alone a sequel to a comedy, does justice to the original. Most comedy sequels rely on played out jokes and over used character stereotypes to get through the movie. You can tell that this wouldn’t be a carbon copy of the original when the film transitions from the classic black and white to being full color within the opening. Clerks 2 does an amazing job of continuing the story of our favorite characters, while actually giving them significant development. When the movie was announced people were very quick to judge. Was there a point to making a sequel to a comedy that came out ten years ago? Would these characters still hold up? Can they do another movie about guys who work in a convenience store and have it be entertaining for new and old viewers? Will fans of Clerks feel that this is a cop out by doing another film? I am pleased to say that this film handles all of those questions and lives up to any hopes and expectations that fans had. These are still the people we know and love, but we get to see that ten years later…and they haven’t quite made their own dreams a reality. Although everyone eventually comes full circle to the Quick Stop, they do so with a new enthusiasm as they are now in full control of their lives instead of being told what to do.

ComicsOnline gives Clerks 2 on Blu-ray 5 out of 5 chances to make a really good sequel.