Customer Reviews

Mallrats

5 star:		(239)
4 star:		(75)
3 star:		(35)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Well, folks, it's been ten years since the would-be cult classic "Mallrats" bombed both critically and at the box office. To celebrate such failure, director Kevin Smith and company have erected a brand new double-dip...errr...I mean special edition DVD. Aside from the usual distractions (i.e. featurettes, commentary), the main attraction is an all new extended-cut of the flick, done by Kevin Smith himself. This new cut (don't fret, the original remains intact on the opposite side of the disc) integrates deleted footage and alternate takes into what ends up being a sprawling two hour and three minute epic. Think James Cameron re-editing "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." Ok, maybe not that big of a deal, but it's still cool, nevertheless. The "Extended Version" is (as Smith describes it in his introduction) basically the script put to screen. The "new" film is just as funny, and actually, better. I never had a problem with the original "Mallrats," but for some reason, this version feels more complete -- or incomplete? Watch the introduction...

The film, whichever version you choose, is classic Kevin Smith. As a follow-up to "Clerks," it suffers, but if you want to be entertained and want to laugh, this is the right place to come. The story is centered on two slackers, who are both dumped at the same time and come to the mall to cope. Along the way, they run into friends, enemies, crooked security guards, nerdy comic book fans, Stan Lee, and the infamous Jay And Silent Bob. Dick and fart jokes ensue. Not only is it Smith's first "colored" flick, but it is also his first time working under a studio, and his first time working with View Askew regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee (who play enemies in this movie). These two findings were pure gold. Ben Affleck would go on to give Smith his finest performances in "Chasing Amy" and "Jersey Girl," while Lee establishes himself as being outright hilarious and natural, right off the bat in this movie. The film itself is not without it's flaws, but the old saying goes "Time heals all wounds." When this movie first came out, it tanked, and it tanked hard. Now, ten years later, it has it's own cult audience, and surely, Kevin Smith has recovered from the initial disappointment. Hell, at the very least, it's good enough to warrant a revisiting on DVD.

If you owned the original DVD, you can give it up soundly when you by this DVD. Aside from a few minor things (i.e. the multi-angle commentary), most of the special features are intact with this new release. While not as extensive as last years "Clerks X" release, it still offers a bounty of supplemental material. The highlight being the "Mallrats Reunion Q & A" where the cast and crew get together for one big interview. Also, as mentioned before, the "Extended Version" of this film is also worth checking out if you are a diehard Kevin Smith fan. However, I have to warn, if you already own the first DVD and are just a mild Kevin Smith fan, you will probably be safe leaving this re-release alone. For me, and other people who just have to hear everything that comes out of his mouth, however, it is worth buying into the evil double dip.

Mallrats, to me, has always been an excellent and hilarious movie bordering on "comedy classic status". Not until watching the bonus material included on this Anniversary Edition DVD did I learn that it was basically a critical failure.

The quotable lines are countless. The talent found in casting is absolutely outstanding. The dialogue is quirky, thoughtful and biting, etc., etc... It's difficult to attribute the movie's failure to anything other than poor marketing and it not being properly prioritized by Rogue Pictures. But, whatever the cause, Mallrats has found it's cult following in the years following its release. It's too good a movie to have remained unnoticed and unappreciated for too long.

The 10th Anniversary DVD includes an extended version of the movie, as edited by Kevin Smith himself, while pleasuring himself so that he could truly "enjoy" his work (as revealed in the bonus interview). This version is hilarious and it gives you a slightly different feel for the movie, as alternate scenes or settings are used in certain places. It's interesting and just as hilarious as the theatrical version. The bonus DVD also includes a few featurettes, interviews and a feature commentary track with most of the cast.

Great movie, great DVD edition - Highly Recommended!

I think it's safe to say this movie is a cult classic; my friends and I have seen it countless times.

Kevin Smith's follow-up to 1994's "Clerks" was not-so-well-recieved by the critics.

The box-office numbers didn't treat the flick too kindly, either.

See? The stuff cult classics are made of.

The critics were wrong and the movie goers must have been napping in late 1995, because this film is hysterical from start to finish.

Buy this one, folks. You can't go wrong with a Kevin Smith movie. Buy it for the commentary, buy it for the deleted scenes (over one hour's worth), buy it for the witty dialog of Jason Lee, buy it to laugh at Jeremy London's acting skills; but most of all, buy it for the movie itself.

While you're at it, buy "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy," too. And get a copy of "Dogma" (the best of the four) when it's released on DVD on May 2.

Remember: Kevin Smith is the best screenwriter out there, so buy it. You won't be sorry.

As writer/director Kevin Smith said in his booklet for the Chasing Amy DVD, "Clerks" was overpraised and "Mallrats" was overbashed.

This movie follows along in the classical steps of such 80's movies such as "Screwballs", "Porky's", and "The Invisible Kid". In fact, one of its best descriptions is that it is a smart "Porky's".

In "Mallrats", Kevin once again revisits the Tri-town area of New Jersey, as every other moive in the View Askewniverse. The two unlikely heroes, Brodie and T.S. Quint (a shameless, yet clever plug for one of Kevin's favorite movie, "Jaws") have both been dumped by their girlfriends. And only in the mall can they find solace and comfort.

Brodie and T.S. run into all sorts of characters, including Jay and Silent Bob. Throughout the whole day, the try to find ways to get their girlfriends back. And in true 80's fashion, the guys get the girls and some breasts are shown. Not too bad for a movie that flopped in the box office.

Witty, intelligent, and hilarious, "Mallrats" has become a cult classic and any person who enjoys Kevin Smith should own a copy, along with his other movies, "Clerks", "Chasing Amy", and "Dogma".

Mallrats was actually my introduction into the world of "Kevin Smith". Flicking through cable channels one day, I stumbled across this flick and have been a devoted fan ever since!

Since becoming more knowledgable in Kevin Smith films, To this day I cannot see why this film did so badly and how people can sit there and blast it.

As most people agree, the dialogue plays a decent part on why Smith films are so fantastic and fun, and this was the first thing that grabbed my attention. As mentioned, when I stumbled across Mallrats on Cable, it was almost the end of the film at the Game Show segment. To have a chick insinuating having sex as a question, and having Brodie (God bless Jason Lee!) scream out "Oh, you mean like...!", I was hooked. Thankfully, as cable is infamous for doing, Mallrats got multiple re-runs and the next day I caught the flick in full.

Onto the DVD Itself, any DVD of a great film such as Mallrats deserves purchasing. I mean, there is no other way, bar stealing a film reel yourself, to get the fantastic picture quality and sound, and more importantly, which you can't get too many places, BONUS FEATURES! And for this DVD to be advertised as having "Over 1 hour of Deleted Scenes", it makes any fan salivate from the mouth. Whilst I know many film purists who state "Deleted Scenes are deleted for a reason" (!), any true fan of a film wants to see scenes that the director intended to include but was prevented from doing so due to film politics, irritating production companies or simply time management.

The real gem on this disc however has to be the Audio Commentary. By the way, this was the first Audio Commentary I ever viewed with "Video Hijinks"; IE: when the mallrats logo appears, press the select button on your remote to change the screen to a 'live' shot of the guys in the Audio Commentary booth interacting with each other. It was great to see all the guys together. Smith, Mewes, good ol' Ben Affleck (Who by the time I saw Mallrats had become 'all that and a bag of potato chips' through his post-Mallrats flicks), as well as "Chasing Amy's Jason Lee" (A referral poor old J.L. will probably take to the grave) all work great together, feeding of what each other says to make a very intertaining and worthwhile DVD. In fact, People I know that HATE Mallrats (I can't see how the could) have bought the DVD primarily for the Commentaries and Extra Features. One mate I know only liked Clerks and Chasing Amy, but owns every Kevin Smith DVD on the market!

Another Gem has to be the "Easter Egg" on the Mallrats DVD. For those DVD-Illiterate people out there, an Easter Egg is a 'hidden bonus' but in most cases, these aren't hidden very well. To access it, move your cursor onto the Robot's Eyes at the Mallrats Menu and press select (It is either the Main Menu or the Bonus Features Menu). Rather humerous little addition by Kevin Smith. (However, no Kevin Smith inserts come close to the great one he did for the Criterion Chasing Amy Disc).

...Personally, Mallrats is my favourite Smith film as yet and Brodie Rulz!

"Mallrats" is the most panned and least successful of Kevin Smith's four movies and one that Smith himself has apologized for making. But I don't get it. It is by far the funniest movie of the bunch, the plot is silly but fun and the ending is pretty satisfying (can't say that for "Chasing Amy", Smith's most praised film). "Mallrats" also introduced us to a fine young talent in Jason Lee, who absolutely steals this movie as Brodie Bruce, the ultimate slacker. I found myself laughing even before he opened his mouth because I knew he was going to say something funny.

Silent Bob (played by Smith) and Jay (Jason Mewes) also have some very funny scenes in this movie, although their showing in Smith's "Dogma" was a little more entertaining. I also thought Ben Affleck was a good choice for the coniving manager of the "Fashionable Male" who tries to woo Brodie's ex-girlfriend, Rene (Shannen Doherty).

Smith has said that if he were to have to do it over again, he would not have cast Jeremy London as Brodie's sidekick, T.S. (or is Brodie T.S.'s sidekick?), but actually he is fine in the straight man role. Sure, he's a lousy actor, but if you're looking for Oscar winning performances, Kevin Smith films aren't for you anyway.

"Mallrats" can be crude (although not as crude as Smith's "Clerks"), but it is funny. Kick back, have a beer, pop the tape in and enjoy!

Though the acting in this film is not exactly oscar-quality, it doesn't really seem to matter. It's a comedy, and makes no effort to be taken seriously in any regard. As a comedy, it does well, but it could be better. It's not as funny as "Clerks" and lacks the production quality of "Chasing Amy." So it's somewhere in between, a transition from the indie-b&w film to a big budget major release. It seems Kevin Smith was trying to make another "Clerks" but fell short of the humor of that film.

On its own, it has much to recommend it. It is quite funny in parts. Jay & Silent Bob shine in this film, a lot more than in Clerks or Chasing Amy (but not as much as Dogma). There's loads of pop culture references thrown in, not just as cheap allusions to better works, but in seamless placements that work with comical effect.

Not Kevin Smith's best work, but still worth getting. I recommend the DVD with the missing scenes. The VHS is good, but it seems there's something missing.

Kevin Smith is one of the most underated writers today. Malllrats has something that many comedys today don't have...humor.This movie is halarious.If you are a huge Kevin Smith fan as i am, i highly recommend buying the DVD version, with over an hour of deleted footage that's funnier than a 3 legged dog.

I first learned of Kevin Smith's works through word of mouth and decided that, over the course of several weekends I would rent all of his films and view them. I had already seen the hilarious Jay and Silent Bob spots on MTV and read about his comic book successes writing for DAREDEVIL, and even followed the growing hype and controversy surrounding DOGMA. I watched Clerks and throughly enjoyed it. Next I watched Mallrats and was enthralled. His comic book references (including a lengthy cameo by the one-and-only Stan Lee) were excellent and exceptionally well-placed and the various other gags, while sophomoric, were the best I've seen in a recent comedy. Though Clerks was ground-breaking and Chasing Amy was thought provoking (it was a drama-comedy and well worth watching, splicing a painful relationship film with hefty doses of offbeat laughs) I though Mallrats was Smith at his best, combining wacky plotlines and livable characters with a realistic bent of comedy and plot fixing. Bravo, and I can't wait for the next installment!

As with Clerks X, Kevin Smith and his staff are striving to give the fans a lot of material with this upgrade. Kevin is probably the most attuned to his fan base of all directors currently working, as the huge volume of posts on his site, and his responses to those posts, attests to.
As for the supposed problem of two sided discs, I don't see it as a problem at all. Except for those who have multi-disc players, you still have to get up and change the disc, whether it be a two sided disc or a multi-disc set. As long as care is taken with the transfer, and the menus work properly, it doesn't matter how many discs are there.
Besides, this is Mallrats, a very funny little film. So just kick back and enjoy, ok?