Mallrats was early in Kevin Smith's career and you can see that the less budget Smith has to play with the better the film is. Set entirely in a mall this film has great characters, a free flowing screenplay filled with snappy dialogues and great direction by Smith. Everyone of Kevin Smith's entourage till then is there in some spades and there are some connections and gags that only a person well versed in Kevin Smith's Universe would understand. This is a great watch.

As raunchy and decadent that "Clerks" was coming out the prior year, at least I thought it was pretty funny. Coming from the same creative mind and direction of Kevin Smith, I expected "Mallrats" to be on a par but it failed to deliver. There were some humorous moments of course, and unless I'm mistaken, some of the language might have been toned down from the earlier flick, but there didn't seem to be enough to redeem this picture as one to recommend as a follow up to "Clerks". My understanding is that chronologically, this picture occurs the day before the events in "Clerks", but that's neither here nor there and of no consequence to my mind. The picture's most salient moment is when Stan Lee has his heart to heart chat with Brodie (Jason Lee), but after that it's pretty much down hill. The game show segment in particular was just terrible, it looked like it belonged in an entirely different picture. Still, it was cool to see Jay and Silent Bob once again, and Jason Lee has the right looks and temperament for the kind of character he portrayed. But if faced with a decision to make, you probably should just watch "Clerks" again.

There's something so singular and relatable about Kevin Smith's movies. Even when they feature ridiculous plots and unrealistic characters, I always find something about them grounded. That likely has to do with the fact that I share many of the same interests as Smith, with the biggest being, comic-books.Mallrats is about a group of college students who lounge around their local mall because they have nothing better to do. More specifically, Mallrats deals with two guys who have recently been broken up with, and devise a brilliant (or not so brilliant) plan to win them back. The chaos that ensues at the mall falls nothing short of being good ole screwball fun.That's part of the reason why Kevin Smith succeeds with Mallrats so well, he's not making this for critics, he makes his movies for his friends and the fans. Not that critics wouldn't enjoy such irreverent fun, but the lack of sophistication in the way the characters act in Mallrats isn't something you see in most Hollywood films. Visiting a topless fortune teller, beating up the mall Easter Bunny, elevator sex, or listening to Stan Lee fake monologue about his past are only a few of the things that go on. You either like Smith's style or you don't, I just happen to be one of those people who do.Mallrats only works if the writing and the characters are as memorable as they are. Watching a comedy 20 years after its release provides ample time for reevaluation if the bits are still funny, and if they are you know that it's a good piece of cinema. Although the stuff inside the mall may be dated, the jokes certainly are not. At least for me, that is. In all, Smith created another beloved gem with Mallrats, albeit with a slightly goofy sense of humor.8.1/10

It's Easter in an apparently upscale American community. After they are dumped by their girlfriends, best friends Jason Lee (as Brodie Bruce) and Jeremy London (as T.S. Quint) decide to go to the local mall. They want to hang out and have a cookie. Naturally, their ex-girlfriends are there. Shannen Doherty (as Rene Mosier) is with her new lover, "fashionable male" Ben Affleck (as Shannon Hamilton). Joey Lauren Adams (as Gwen Turner) is going to appear on a "Dating Game"-type TV show as a favor to her father...By adopting a slacker look, Mr. Lee is somewhat convincing. However, the cast appears around ten years too old for the situation. Possibly directed to appear fidgety, Mr. London looks uncomfortable. Then considered the biggest star in the cast, top-billed Ms. Doherty essays her usual high-school impersonation. "Mallrats" like Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith (as Jay and Silent Bob) appear. Mr. Smith is also the writer and director. Introduced in front of a store selling gerbils, Smith shows some quirky, anal humor.** Mallrats (10/25/95) Kevin Smith ~ Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Ben Affleck