[ad_1]
With Clerks 3 getting a heap of positive attention from fans and critics alike, audiences can’t help but look back on the other Clerks films with fondness and nostalgia. Despite their vaunted reputation in comedy circles, not every viewer loved the movies; some even had downright unpopular opinions.
Whether it is a preference for one film over the others or an absolute hatred of the movies in general, some viewers weren’t on Kevin Smith‘s wavelength. To air their unpopular thoughts, users took to Reddit and let the world know what they really thought of the franchise.
Kevin Smith Didn’t Build On The Original Clerks
When it burst on the indie scene in the mid-’90s, Clerks helped to revolutionize popular cinema and reflected a culture of intelligent filmmaking. However, user solidgoldrocketpants was mostly disappointed by the creator. They commented, “I totally thought he was going to do interesting artistic work in his career. And then I saw Mallrats and Chasing Amy and realized ‘Nope.'”
Clerks was a comedy, but it also represented so much more to a lot of the people who saw it. Considering it an anthem for Gen-x, it isn’t necessarily Smith’s fault that so many viewers took things to heart. As the Clerks sequels have proven, Smith makes the movies he wants to make and any emotional connection to a style or tone is on the audience and not the creator.
Mallrats Is Better Than Clerks
Though it doesn’t bear the Clerks name, Mallrats is undoubtedly part of the franchise thanks to its inclusion of Jay and Silent Bob. Going against the grain, a deleted user praised the movie abundantly when they said “Mallrats is the best of his movies, in my opinion”.
Just as whip-smart as its predecessor, Mallrats had a host of great quotes that still live on in viewers’ heads to this day. Despite that, it fails to live up to the simple brilliance of Clerks, and it very much feels like a sophomore outing from a young filmmaker trying to make his way.
Clerks 2 Is Better Than The Original
While the fanbase is somewhat split on which of the trilogy is best, the consensus seems to fall toward the original movie. A deleted user knew they were being contrarian when they wrote of the sequel, “I like Clerks 2 far more but many people seem to prefer the original”.
With a bigger budget and a lot more skill under his belt, Kevin Smith crafted a sequel that surprised a lot of viewers. Clerks 2 was decidedly more raunchy, but it continued the lives of the characters in a brilliant way that made the more relatable. However, Clerks 2 was decidedly more boilerplate than the original and certainly wasn’t as groundbreaking.
Clerks Seems Like A Film School Project
Now recognized as one of the best indie comedies of all time, it is difficult to overstate the earth-shattering nature of a movie like Clerks. Even though it has an important reputation in independent filmmaking circles, use fedaykin13 wrote “It’s pretty terrible. … It’s basically a fairly bad film school project”.
Punching way above his budgetary weight class, Kevin Smith was able to deliver a memorable and successful film on a budget that wouldn’t even pay for a day’s catering on a Hollywood movie. While it lacks the finesse of an established filmmaker, the heart is what made it an overnight success.
None Of The Clerks Movies Are Good
While debate will rage on forever as to which film in the View Askewniverse is best, most viewers will at least pick one that struck their fancy. On the other hand, a deleted user was ready to write off the entire catalog when they said “He has never made a truly great movie. Most were pretty mediocre”.
Even outside the Clerks films, Smith’s filmography features a diverse amount of content that surely covers almost everyone. Though they haven’t all been zingers, Clerks is a shining example of low-budget filmmaking and went a long way in capturing the elusive zeitgeist of the 1990s.
Clerks Isn’t Meant To Be Funny
Kevin Smith’s signature brand of comedy has been defined as rather juvenile, but he has also shown himself to be a thoughtful storyteller as well. User UltraOfNaath took an entirely different tack with the film, writing “I love Clerks and i never thought they were supposed to be funny i think it was supposed to be a satirical look at society”.
Humor is entirely subjective, and what one viewer finds hilarious might elicit nary a chuckle from someone else. That being said, Clerks is not only what the user characterized it as, but it was also very clearly meant to be a comedy as well. Considering the direction that Smith’s other films have gone in, there is no doubt he was going for laughs–and succeeding.
There’s Too Much Nostalgia For Clerks
Some of the best legacy sequels of all time have been breaking box office records as of late, and the Clerks franchise isn’t above cashing in. User iamnumber1967 balked at the obvious cynicism when they wrote “It was funny when I was a dumb kid, they are just milking the nostalgia thing now”.
The sudden arrival of Clerks 3 can be seen as an obvious cash grab, but considering Smith’s past with sequels, it may not be as cut-and-dry. Smith clearly has a love for the characters he created in the ’90s, and as long as he continues to treat them with respect and care, there is no end to the hilarious possibilities.
Clerks 3 Looks Bad
Many fans who hold certain films close to their hearts have a fear of additional sequels and worry that they may tarnish a film’s reputation. User Dispositionpsn certainly fell in that category when they wrote “Clerks 3 looks aweful. Just as bad as their latest Jay and Silent sequel”.
Obviously a labor of love, Clerks 3 was only made to satisfy the fanbase’s desire for more content. Clerks 2 proved that a proper sequel was possible, and the third film is a return to the franchise’s much more simple roots. Though some viewers see the newer movies as selling out, they are still smaller budgeted productions with a lot of heart.
Clerks Is Much Too Juvenile
Comedy will never please everyone, and Clerks is definitely a film that blazes its own trail when it comes to a sense of humor. It was all too much for user UkrainesMiddleFinger, and they wrote “The humor is so dry and crass that it sounds like the brainchild of an angsty middle schooler”.
The disaffected youth movement of the ’90s has parallels to today’s society, but there will always be generational divisions. Clerks has massive appeal to viewers who have experience in the customer service industry, and the movie is funny because it can be incredibly mundane and relatable.
Clerks Was Funny Only In Its Own Era
As much as Clerks embodied a decade, it has also stood the test of time as an independent comedy film that still has legs in the 21st century. A deleted user wholeheartedly disagreed with that sentiment when they said “Kevin Smith’s films were funny for their time … that time is definitely not now”.
It is easy to dismiss a movie sliding towards its 30th anniversary as outmoded, but its established success proves it is so much more than a relic. The success of sequel films can’t be chalked up to Gen-x nostalgia alone, and the simple message of the film continues to have an effect on younger audience members who experience it.
[ad_2]
Source link
