ReelBob: ‘Clerks III’ ★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Clerks III” is a skewed mixture of gross comedy, sentimentality and melodrama that fails to gel as a whole.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith’s return to his New Jersey roots is more a love letter to his fans than a cohesive feature.

The movie contains many laughs but expends more effort looking back — with several references to situations, dialogue and characters from his previous “Clerks” ventures and relying more on the memories and affections of Smith’s devoted followers — than moving forward.

Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) still work in the Quick Stop, but now they own the store. The video store where Randal formerly worked is now a weed shop run by Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith).

After suffering a massive heart attack Randal decides to make a movie about his life at the convenience store. He enlists Dante, Jay, Silent Bob, Elias (Trevor Fehrman) and others to help him.

Age has not mellowed Randal. He remains the self-centered, sarcastic, movie quoting asshole he always has been, denigrating all around him, including Dante, supposedly his best friend.

“Clerks III” is darker in parts than any of Smith’s previous works. Dante is still mourning the death of his beloved Becky (Rosario Dawson), killed many years earlier by a drunken driver.

It is his friendship for Randal that pushes him to help make his partner’s dream come true.

“Clerks III” is filled with discussions about the merits of “Star Wars” as well as many other movies.

And it features an A-list of cameos of performers auditioning for Randal’s dream project — titled “Inconvenience.”

The movie relies heavily on nostalgia; it’s like attending a concert by a veteran rock band who relies on its greatest hits to entertain the audience.

“Clerks III” spotlights how Smith has mellowed. The movie is not as chaotic as his earlier features; it is more heartwarming and sentimental. It just takes a long time to get to those moments.

I’ve always enjoyed Smith’s works — “Dogma” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” are two of my favorites. I appreciate how he was able to build a successful career on a simple premise of guys working in a convenience store.

If “Clerks III” is Smith’s farewell to his Jersey roots, then his devotees should be amply satisfied.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

CLERKS III
2½ stars out of 4
(R), language, sexual references, drug use.