Mallrats - 6 stars out of 10

Mallrats - 6 stars out of 10

"Mallrats" is the second film in Kevin Smith's "View Askewniverse" canon and is much more successful than "Clerks" at being entertaining from start to finish.  Like its predecessor, it is a true homage to monotony but manages to avoid boring moments.  The film also has a higher visual quality because of its obviously higher budget.  It is great in all of its 90's glory.  Not as glorious as "Clueless," but it still takes you back to that era.  It is so dumb but still so entertaining.  My favorite part of the entire film is Ethan Suplee staring at the 3D picture.  Every time that it cuts back to him at that picture, it gets funnier.  I enjoyed his inclusion with future "My Name Is Earl" co-star Jason Lee.  I love all of the Star Wars references, and Jason Lee's obsession with the kid on the escalator.  This is easily the best role that I have ever seen Lee in, melding coolness with over-the-top stupidity.  Shannen Doherty delivers my favorite dialogue of the film with incredible spunk when she screams at Lee on the elevator.  It is worth watching the entire film for that single moment.  Let's not forget how amazing Claire Forlani and Joey Lauren Adams looked.  I didn't expect to encounter so many great characters, though I did anticipate bumping into Jay and Silent Bob again.  They are just too hilarious.  Even Renee Humphrey as "Trish the Dish" was great in her sassy-ness.  Even though there are a ton of small characters in this film, few of them receive more than 10 minutes of screen time and yet each is memorable and adds to the story.  Ben Affleck is the only one that didn't add anything.  He couldn't even act back then and is just as annoying as ever.  While I love the characters and the story, there is just way too much language in this film.  I would much prefer to watch this on tv as the language and intense sexual content in the dialogue become way too much after a while.  I really did not enjoy the fortune telling scene, but the film is worth watching if you skip past the nudity.  You definitely have to be in a certain mood to enjoy these films, so get into that goofy mood and you'll just laugh through the entire film, regardless of how stupid it gets.