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Return of the Clerks

`Long awaited sequel` just isn?t the right thing to say after waiting more than ten years for Kevin Smith`s `Clerks 2`. After nearly losing hope that we would never know what happened with Randal and Dante, Smith has written a new movie that starts off by making a point that although years have passed, nothing has changed, including with Smith himself. Dante and Randal are surprisingly still behind the counter at a convenience store until an unexpected fire forces the two to find work. They end up at a fast food restaurant where a familiar setting ensues. Randal rants and insults whoever gets in his way, Dante tries to be the good guy and Jay and Silent Bob hang out in the front, where Jay is actually pretty entertaining.

Although highly anticipated, Clerks 2 simply doesn`t offer any new variations to justify its existence, but most of the director`s hardcore fans won`t care about that-they`ll just be happy to have Dante and Randal back onscreen jawing about the `Star Wars` trilogy. Few writers are as pop-culture savvy as Smith and he gets off a few good moments, the highlight being Randal`s merciless critique of the `Lord of the Rings` trilogy. While Smith`s affection for these characters is obvious throughout, there`s a forced quality to some of the dialogue that`s difficult to ignore. It`s almost as if he`s trying too hard to recapture the sound of the first Clerks.