But there are so many scenes of “Clerks III” that are so beholden to the text of “Clerks,” with actors brought back to play the same role, recreating a shot. Sure, it’s cute that Randal's crew has a mic on a hockey stick, as the boom mic used for “Clerks” really was, or that they repeat a nauseating car sequence where the camera, in the back seat, leaps from Randal and Dante with each line while talking about not going to film school. The meta storytelling of "Clerks III" gets more and more flat when it’s about paying tribute to Smith’s own eureka moments and filmmaking back in the '90s than what Randal as an individual character does. Here, he has the same idea as successful products like “ Avengers: Endgame” or “ Top Gun: Maverick.” But where those movies bring back familiar characters, beats, and moments for a story that could stand on its own, Smith’s approach is just to rely on every part of the making of “Clerks,” to punch it up with easter eggs, and actors that you’d only be amused to see if you remembered their two-minute bit in “Clerks.” There's no larger plot though, and the big surprises only come from cameos ( Amy Sedaris, Justin Long, and Ben Affleck are amusing in particular). The George Lucas of his own View Askew Universe, Smith has created his own mini blockbusters that parallel the larger business. Eye-rolling as much as he ever does, Dante is not amused but he goes along with it. It’s clear when anyone reads the script as to who’s who-Dante is a “Dan T” (a funny joke), and Dante's exes are in the mix too, like Veronica ( Marilyn Ghigliotti). He hires-forces, really-Dante to become his producer, and the production will shoot inside the Quick Stop and use memories, putting the latest strain on their relationship. #Roger that moviePoignantly, he says “I saw the whole movie of my life flash before my eyes, and you know what? It sucked.” Randal wants to make a movie about everything he's seen at the Quick Stop, and as a former video store employee, he should know how. Randal suffers a heart attack (a “widow maker” wth 80% chance of not winning, as Smith experienced himself) and it leads to an epiphany. “Clerks III” is a movie about the main characters of “Clerks” making a movie called “Inconvenience,” virtually remaking “Clerks” for us shot by shot. They have a few dim-witted moments of self-realization that made me chuckle. There's also a funny life change for religious Transformers fan Elias ( Trevor Fehrman) from “Clerks II,” which this movie leans into as its best ongoing joke with various appearance changes, parallel to tedious jokes about NFTs and his own silent companion, Blockchain ( Austin Zajur). Then there's loitering drug dealers Jay ( Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), who now own the video store next door, and have naturally turned it into a THC shop. But Smith's writing isn't about doing something special with this labored depiction of arrested development, he's too focused on just making it about "Clerks." Is "Clerks III" at least funny in its own right? Yes, at least in the warming way of seeing foul-mouthed Randal ( Jeff Anderson) again, winding up grossed-out customers up from behind the counter of the Quick Stop convenience store in New Jersey, standing with his long-time buddy Dante (Brian O’Halloran). It’s equally curious and bizarre to see Randal and Dante still at the Quick Stop, like employees frozen in carbonite since reopening the store in the last movie.
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