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88 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"That Kid Is Back On The Escalator!", September 21, 2005
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.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Okay Lunchbox, let's try this again", February 15, 2006
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!
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51 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ahead of its time, February 2, 2000
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.
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