RATING: 88/100 - 8.8/10. WONDERFULLY FUNNY AND WELL-PACED FILM. WELL CRAFTED WITH AN INTERESTING PLOT AND WELL WRITTEN/INTERESTING CHARACTERS. NOT MY FAVORITE SMITH FILM BUT THE VIEW ASKEW FILMS ARE HARD TO RANK SINCE I ENJOY THEM ALL. FEELGOOD, FUNNY, AND FULL OF HEART.
Mallrats is a delightfully funny and less raunchy (but still, pretty raunchy) addition to Kevin Smith’s large and iconic filmography that has spanned over three decades. It’s a different approach in film for him and a big turn from what his previous film - Clerks was. He took a shot at teen comedy, and despite it being panned by critics and unsatisfactory at the box office, it’s an incredible comedy movie that has all of the charm and distinct features you would look for in a Smith film.
It’s a big change from what his previous film was; but Mallrats has just as much heart. It’s a more silly and adventure/action filled comedy compared to the more mellow, dialogue driven Clerks, but it’s a great change that shows both promise and variety for a still-new Smith. Mallrats is a genuinely fun movie that serves up both laughs and heartfelt moments as you get to know new and old characters and hear their stories. The introduction to new characters for the View Askewniverse was done wonderfully with this movie and we got the first appearances of many different franchise regulars through this movie.
Unlike Clerks, this movie did not make its budget back. It was backed with a 6.1 million dollar budget and it made 2.1 million at the box office - not even half of the original budget. This is a very confusing fact to think about when the mass success of the low-budget Clerks, and how Smith had a considerably sized fan base at this point in time. It’s hard to pinpoint why Mallrats didn’t do well commercially, but it isn’t without its fans - and it has become a cult classic since its release in October of 1995.
The production of Mallrats was drastically different from that of Clerks, and it was backed by a studio from the start rather than being picked up after the complete filming of the movie. One of the issues stemming from this was the casting and how they wanted more “big names” behind the project. Jason Mewes had to audition for a character that was already his (Jay), and he had to do so twice. The studio favored Seth Green over Mewes - this is most likely due to Mewes being a rather “inexperienced” actor since he had only previously been in Clerks and had issues during the shooting of the film.
It might not seem fair to compare Mallrats to Clerks since they are two drastically different films, but them being in the same franchise as well as being the first two written/directed Smith films to be released to screen makes it excusable to do so. Mallrats is linked to Clerks in the tied stories of the death of Julie Dwyer - according to the timeline of this event, Mallrats takes place the day before Clerks.
Mallrats has writing that is just as strong as some of the material found in Clerks. It may be more tailored to a younger audience (slightly more juvenile), but this is almost a refreshing approach from Smith. It shows his versatility as a filmmaker and writer and the dialogue is both funny and sincere. The characters are very three-dimensional and do not feel forced or flat, each one having their own unique traits, stories, ideas, and aspirations. Everyone in the movie is there for a different reason and they all have a sense of placement and appropriate usage/timing throughout the film's runtime.
The characters in Mallrats are all very well written. The stories behind each character are wonderfully unique and the ideas for each character and their story are reflected upon instead of being dropped after first mention - even the very minor side characters feel necessary to the composition, pace, and storyline for the film. Each and every character was delicately and intricately written and expanded on rather than having characters that feel flat or hollow scattered throughout the film.
It’s not hard to see how much Kevin Smith cares about his films and how they turn out based on his visions for each of them. He puts careful effort and time into his scripts and directing and it is one of many factors that make his films so timeless. He has a very sharp wit that is perfect for writing the witty banter and dialogue found in all of his View Askew (and non-universe) films, and his style of directing seems to include everyone and ensure that everything is done the way it needs to be done. His films have a very distinct style that is completely unique to him and his ideas - no one but Smith could make a View Askew film no matter how hard they tried to.
I personally enjoy some of his other films more than this one, but Mallrats is such a feel good and fun film that deserves more love. It’s clear that it’s catered to a certain audience, but I think it can reach people outside of the target audience as well. It might be a slightly dated film in terms of theme but it holds up outstandingly well and it remains funny and a timeless classic decades after its initial release. I find I come back to this one a little less frequently when compared to some of his other films, but I have nothing against it - it’s one of my favorite films and it makes me laugh every single time I watch it.
The jokes in Mallrats feel like ones you couldn’t get anywhere else. There’s a certain type of humor used here that I just haven’t seen in any other film. The ideas are unique and fun and the pacing of the film leads to it being a quick ride through a crazy day in the mall. Who knew so much could happen in just one day. The game show sabotage plotline was incredibly done and so fun to watch - every little side story in the film works well and has a very fitting timing and place within the film, and the jokes are organic and funny every time. There are countless highlights throughout the 94 minute runtime, and it doesn’t feel dull for even a second. There is no bloating in the runtime for Mallrats, everything that is in the film needed to be there, every scene served a purpose and this isn’t a movie where you’ll find any filler.
The character growth and development in this movie is outstanding. Everyone has a wonderfully wrapped up and tied story that leads into the next films in the franchise (in some cases) and concludes the movie wonderfully. There is no wondering what happened to each character, every story has an opening and a closing and you get to know every single character through their dialogue, mannerisms, behavior, and stories. Jay and Silent Bob are expanded on more here and different sides and traits of their characters are shown here, aspects of them that we did not see previously in Clerks. There is wonderful character development shown for the one-time characters as well. Each character grows and learns something, and the wrapup for the movie felt very natural - seeing each character get their stories built on was heartwarming and incredibly enjoyable to see, and they each have such unique story aspects to reflect upon. It’s almost like watching all of them grow up.
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