Review of Mallrats (1995) by Chris R — 06 May 2013

The film that many considered the sophomore slump and the beginning of the end for director Kevin Smith 'Mallrats' had and still has a lot going against it. It was made so closely after 'Clerks' that many fans of that film expected the same with Smith's second outing.

Others thought the film would be, as Smith put it: "A smart 'Porkys'". The final product however is neither of those things, which resulted in the hatred and critical bashing of legend back in 1995, but to tell the truth 'Mallrats' is far from a bad film.

It may not be the best film Smith's done and it has problems, but the film is still fun while it lasts and modern Smith fans or people looking to spend an afternoon with something funny, you're in luck with 'Mallrats'.

The film stars Jason Lee and Jeremy London as two friends whose girlfriends have just dumped. After meeting and having a brief discussion about this, they head to the titular mall to vent. Once there, they attempt to regain their girls, stop a game show from airing in the mall, meet Jay and Silent Bob and even get to talk to Stan Lee himself.

The film tends to wander to random places which makes it a little uneven in the story department, but the jokes and fun factor is higher than other Smith films, which makes for good replay value. The film has other issues as well such as characters that either don't pop (such as Ethan Suplee's Willem Black) or aren't used as well as they could be (Jay and Silent Bob).

The rest of the film is a great ride however and it's a must see for any Kevin Smith fan or fans of 80's comedies. It may not quite be 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' but 'Mallrats' is always fun to go back to every now and then.