Kevin Smith is back with another View Askew sequel. CLERKS III brings Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) back to the Quick Stop, also seeing the return of Elias (Trevor Fehrman) and Becky (Rosario Dawson). And for you hardcore CLERKS fans, also watch for the return of original CLERKS star Marilyn Ghigliotti, and some other familiar faces to Smith’s movie universe, like Ben Affleck. Plus, of course, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith return as Jay and Silent Bob. This is a bit of art imitating life, as the story involves Randal having a heart attack, much like Smith did a few years back, and deciding to make a movie (within the movie)… and that movie is basically “Clerks”, so again, it’s a reflection of two major events in Smith’s real life.

I am admittedly a fan of Kevin’s movies, though I also realize some are better than others, and it’s fair to say he’s had a few misses in his career… what filmmaker hasn’t? While I very much liked CLERKS II, I was initially a bit surprised Smith wanted to return to that particular universe for yet another sequel. I guess I felt like we had seen all we needed to with those characters. I was wrong. CLERKS III isn’t just a personal story for Kevin, with so much of the art within it imitating life, but it also sort of encapsulates what makes Kevin Smith’s characters work so well. The original CLERKS was raw and very much felt unfiltered and genuine. Some of that was sacrificed in CLERKS II, which at the time was understandable considering how Smith had evolved as a filmmaker. But what surprised me most was how emotional this new film was, containing some genuinely heartfelt and difficult human moments. Oh sure, it’s still very funny, and features a lot of the social commentary the original did, but there’s a warmth here we’re not used to seeing in Smith’s productions. It’s daring with some of its story elements, and at times a bit shocking, but it all works and makes this movie a solid third and potentially final entry in the franchise that brings the indie filmmaker full circle.

I’m purposely avoiding getting into spoiler territory, though certain other critics weren’t as careful. There are some pretty specific story elements here that are major changes from what we know, and I’d very much suggest going into the film avoiding spoiler talk. Both O’Halloran and Anderson are strong here, and play well off their established chemistry. Rosario Dawson is used sparingly, but makes the most of her screentime. Jay and Silent Bob are incorporated well and it never feels like they’re in it too much or too little. This is also (cleverly) the most of “Kevin Smith” we’ve seen in Silent Bob, again showing how he’s making this a personal story without it feeling like a vanity piece. Even Kevin’s wife Jennifer Schwalbach and daughter Harley Quinn Smith are only featured in small roles this time around, but both have some pretty great moments. I was most excited to see original CLERKS star Marilyn Ghigliotti back, and given some great material to work with… and you may noticed a few other familiar faces that were featured in the original film. This is a return to form for Kevin Smith, a smart and funny effort that his fans will likely adore… I know I did.

Check out my short video review of the film below, and tell us what you thought of the movie in the comments here. CLERKS III is now playing in select cities by way of Fathom Events.

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