Clerks II

Dante and Randal (Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson), those acerbic convenience-store employees harboring venomous hatred towards “milk maids,” return in full color in writer-director Kevin Smith’s funny, vulgar, sometimes-sappy sequel to his 1994 debut. While the film isn’t nearly Smith’s best, it’s undeniable fun to see the clerks ranting again, rattling off the kind of raunchy, spot-on observations that only Smith could think up. Except for the opening, the film takes place in one day, as did the original. Tops on the menu are pop culture and sex talk, two topics where Smith has always displayed stunning aptitude (especially in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). When Randal is savaging customers for their love of Lord of the Rings over Star Wars, or trashing a co-worker for his belief in pussy trolls (the funniest scene in the movie), the movie feels right at home. Where it stumbles a bit is in a subplot involving Dante and manager Becky (the always-great Rosario Dawson).