After loving Clerks so much, I decided to watch Mallrats in theaters. I saw it and thoroughly enjoyed it because it’s not a serious movie, and the laughs you expected were fulfilled. It’s really a funny movie with a very talented genius, Kevin Smith, as the director and writer. His characters are great, and I always get a kick out of them. Plus, his ideas are pretty loose and always hilarious.

Synopsis
Mallrats is the story of 2 men who have just recently been dumped by their girlfriends. One man, Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee), was dumped because he wasn’t romantic enough, and only cared about himself. The other man, T.S. Quint (Jeremy London), was dumped because he was also too self-centered. Once they’ve realized their positions, they go to the mall to relax, and try and think things over. T.S.’s ex-girlfriend, Brandi Svenning (Claire Forlani), has vied to play on her father’s (Michael Rooker) game show that is taking place at the mall. In an attempt to win back their girlfriends, T.S. and Brodie struggle to ruin the game show. While at the mall, they encounter many helpful lessons and many helpful characters including Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith).

Storyline
The storyline is excellent. Kevin Smith has done a tremendous job in this aspect of the movie. You’d think that going to the mall would be such a boring subject, but Kevin Smith just took every funny and coincidental possibility and put it into this movie. There are so many events that just make you laugh out loud (fortune telling, Trish the Dish). He’s masterminded the actions and reactions of every event in the mall. I was amazed by how he used funny real life situations (meeting the Easter bunny) and tweaked them into humorous moments where you just can’t contain the laughter. I really love the work that Kevin Smith did with this movie. He’s a genius at creating the funniest, and awkward situations. His sense of humor and creativity really shined through in this motion picture.

Characters
By far the best part of all Kevin Smith’s movies. He just has a magic knack for characters. He can create the most illogical characters with the most logical motives. Mallrats is a perfect example of crazy characters coming together and combining their abilities to accomplish a common goal. Smith is a great character developer. He’s created some of the most inventive characters I’ve ever seen on the big screen. You’ve got T.S. who’s a real romantic, and a real sensitive guy, but match him with Brodie, the self-centered, but somewhat caring guy, and you get the most unforgettable duo. I love Smith’s ability to mix and match like that, it just makes the movie that much more interesting and funny. I also love the recurring characters, Jay and Silent Bob, AKA the loiterers. In every movie they are introduced as small roles, but as the movie progresses they always turn into main characters. Jay and Silent Bob are always there to offer help to their friends, and the reason they play such huge roles in Smith’s comedies, is because they are always so unpredictable. The great thing about that is their ability to do anything in the movies. They can always get away with the most random things, because they are the most random, and maybe the most comedic, characters. The female roles are always a blast to watch because the kinds of girl characters Kevin Smith creates are always different. In Mallrats, you’ve got the caring, stand up kind of gal, Brandy Svenning, you’ve got Rene Mosier (Shannen Doherty) the over-sensitive romantic, and you’ve got the skanky Gwen Turner (Joey Lauren Adams) who’s good for advice now and again. The movie is packed with awesome characters, and they really enhance your viewing experience.

If you like comedies, you should definitely take a look at this movie. If you want a movie where you don’t have to pay much attention, and you’re just looking for a few laughs and relaxation, watch this Mallrats. If you like Kevin Smith, you absolutely have to see this movie. But, if you like and artsy movie that makes you think a lot, don’t watch it, it’s not worth your time.

I loved Mallrats. It was no Clerks, but it was also very different. Clerks was a black and white, super honest, low-budget film that documented the lives of 2 New Jersey clerks. Mallrats has much more going on. There are lots of little stories all running at the same time. There are lots more characters, and it’s a lot faster paced. Mallrats is hilarious, and if you know to expect a goofy comedy, you’ll enjoy it.


Recommended: Yes