Mallrats (1995)

The Worst Film Ever

Pretty Good

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Critically maligned and met with an overwhelmingly apathetic reception from audiences, Kevin Smith's sophomore effort "Mallrats" went down as a major studio blunder back in 1995, bombing at the box office and being largely ignored by the masses. It came and went, fizzling out before it even got going. It wasn't until years later that the film finally grew a fairly dedicated and loving fan-base thanks to its success on the rental market and through DVD sales, as more and more fans of Smith went back and gave it the fair chance it never got in theaters. While it is still considered something of an enigma in the grand scheme of Smith's "View Askew" movie franchise, to which this serves as the second chapter, it is nice to see that the movie has finally been accepted and found its audience. Because while it never quite comes together as a cohesive whole, "Mallrats" is still nonetheless a charming and frequently entertaining little film.Set one day before Smith's breakout hit "Clerks," "Mallrats" follows the duo of T.S. Quint (Jeremy London) and his slacker best-friend Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee), as they spend the day at the local mall to get over their respective breakups with girlfriends Brandi (Claire Forlani) and Rene. (Shannen Doherty) When T.S. learns that Brandi is going to take part in a live-broadcast for a new dating game-show at the mall to appease her overbearing father (Michael Rooker), the two friends set out to sabotage it and try to win back their girls at any cost- including enlisting the wild stoner duo of Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (director Smith)... All the while, they must also dodge the dreaded security guard LaFours (Sven-Ole Thorsen), contend with the opportunistic and kinky bully Shannon (Ben Affleck), and spend time chatting with friends and fellow mall-goers including Gwen (Joey Lauren Adams) and Tricia. (Renee Humphrey)"Mallrats" has also been a fascinating film when placed in the context of Smith's career, especially when you know more about the unique production and its initial release. The movie was produced by the late James Jacks, whom had frequently said that "Mallrats" was the most fun he's ever had on a movie. It was going to be Smith's big break in mainstream filmmaking, and a calling card for his abilities, mixing in the clever and sharp dialog and indie sensibilities he displayed in "Clerks" with a higher-budget concept and humor that aimed to be a bit more mainstream. But the film was butchered in editing for timing and pacing reasons, and the publicity was suspect at best, leading to disaster upon release.And that's a shame, because there is quite a bit to enjoy here. Smith might be aiming for a more mainstream release, but the film is still punctuated by bursts of his trademark clever writing and sharp observational humor, which gives it a good hint of that Kevin Smith flavor that his fans adore. The characters are all typically written as very likable and you have a great deal of fun following them. And Brodie Bruce is definitely a classic Smith character, spouting one-liners and sarcastic quips that audiences will eat up. The set-pieces can also be quite nice, and it's a lot of fun seeing Smith with more money and resources at his disposal. It might not be a perfect film, and the more ambitious scenes sometimes feel a tad bit forced and poorly thought out, but it's entertaining at very least and will definitely supply just enough chuckles and giggles to keep open-minded audiences invested.I was also quite taken by several of the performances. Particularly Jason Lee in one of his earliest roles. Lee lights up the screen and does a fantastic job, showing hints of the incredible work that would follow in the years after release. Affleck and Doherty are also quite a bit of fun as their respective characters, with Affleck in particular being the sort-of slimy scumbag you'll just love to hate. And I also gotta give a special shout-out to Joey Lauren Adams and Renee Humphrey. While their roles are minimal and they each only have a small handful of scenes, both steal the show whenever they're on screen and are a blast and a half. Unfortunately, London and Forlani suffer and come across as a bit too dry on screen. They lack interest or depth and feel like they were inserted to be the "straight men" to the more comedic characters.I also do have to say that the film doesn't quite come together as well as most of Smith's other works, and it stands out as the oddball of the "View Askewniverse." The movie tries to find a balance between clashing styles, and it sometimes feels contrived and inorganic. You can't go from clever and contemplative one scene to seeing a mall Easter- Bunny being comically beaten up into the next scene without some transition... It goes from stylistically from "Clerks" to "Three Stooges" and back more than once, and it never quite flows. In addition, references feel far too dated and shoehorned into the narrative, and the movie's occasional attempts at inserting "cartoon logic" into the mix come across as completely baffling. It's just... sloppy compared to what came before and after for Smith and his cohorts. You can also really tell when scenes have been cut or trimmed, and the movie feels incomplete. (Thankfully though, this issue was eventually fixed with the release of an extended cut.)Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the heck out of "Mallrats." It's kitschy, dated 90's cheese that doesn't quite work. But it's got enough laughs and enough jokes and enough likable characters for me to forgive its more obvious faults. And so, I give "Mallrats" a pretty decent 7 out of 10. Definitely worth seeing for fans of director Kevin Smith.

This movies pretty funny although I can't remember it that well but I'll tell you about it anyways just because I can. These two guys go to a mall and do basically nothing except walk around and comment on the stores, the people, and themselves in witty sarcastic ways inspired by their observations of the vulgar and the profane. One guy, played by the guy who plays Earl in the TV show "My Name is Earl", doesn't give a s**t about anything, hates everything and finds joy in the existence of being miserable. He tries to convince the other guy that he is better off. But wait. Even though it's true there is a reason. That's because the other guy is just a whiny bitch who is there trying to figure out how to win his girlfriend back. The whiny bitch is somewhat necessary because he's like a lot of modern guys, trendy, useful and easy for most women (and employers) to put on a leash. He's probably considered handsome by most sluts (and fags (and employers)) and because of his girlfriend problem propels the plot or what little there is of it onward towards it's comically nihilistic though predictable ending. During the course of this affair all sorts of colorful, odd and even despicable characters cross their paths rendering entertaining doses of chaos and banality in equal measures. Tea anyone?

first off I've always like anything Shannon Doherty has been in every since Beverly Hills 90210. so that was the first reason I bought this film,, second Ben Affleck is always good to see what he's gonna do next in a movie, you never know,, third I figured a movie taking place in a shopping mall, what a good idea.. it's basically about a couple of guys who have ex-girlfriends now , and are trying to figure what to do next , either win them back or get on with their lives.. along the way they meet up with friends. and Stan Lee. this is a very quirky movie that will either be liked or disliked one way or the other there is really no middle ground to this point, I believe you don't need to be a stoner to like this movie at all, I really enjoyed Michael Rooker's performance here as well as a dad hosting a major TV show at the mall,, great dark humor and slapstick all the way.. loved this movie.

Mallrats is an easy comedy with romance as its reason to live. Set almost entirely in a mall and populated by its denizens, we're rewarded by juvenile arguments, pranks and stunts.Shannen Doherty is the big name of the production. She has a supporting role, playing, with a nice ring of truth, a girl who got sick and tired of her looser boyfriend, played by Jason Lee, and dumps him. Lee gives us the best performance of the cast, and with this verbose intensive role made his place on the big screen. Ben Affleck, at that time, was still relatively unknown, and even though this portrayal of an ass hole was right on target, the part was a very small one. The second main character was played by somebody that barely made the grade. His girlfriend was played by Claire Forlani who gave us a good solid performance.The story is interesting, with nice details and interesting plot twists. Even though Kevin Smith got substantially more budget this time around, the film still has an obvious low budget shine to it. Smith is slowly polishing his skills, but has yet to reach full proficiency. The dialogs and original story are is best weapons, and this piece shows that well as each scene is delivered as a verbal dance. Excellent work.Don't take it too seriously, and you'll have lots of fun.