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Mallrats Review by Harry Mallrats
is one of those comedies where big budget jokes aren’t allowed (mainly
because said big budget does not exist), and the success of the movie
rests solely on smartly-written dialogue and well-done performances from
the actors. Kevin Smith, the genius behind this comedy, is well aware of
this fact, and fully utilizes his incredibly limited set with his
incredibly talented actors. My
friends rented this movie one night during a party. I’d never even
heard of it before. The comic book cover introductions to star the movie
did nothing for me. Then a biting, but humorous voice began with an
opening monologue about a cousin who got a cat stuck up his rear. I
laughed so hard I cried. Never in all my life have I heard a movie open
that way, or anything remotely like it. This is a sign of things to
come. The
thing that made Monty Python as funny as it was, was the dialogue. That
entire opening about eastern sparrows was so drawn out my guffaws
drowned out the rest of it. Keeping the audience continually laughing is
one of the most important things in a comedy, instead of just throwing
sight gags and sketches at them and hoping some land. Mallrats succeeds
here. “Only eateries within the designated are downstairs qualify as a
part of the food court. Anything outside of said designated square is
considered an autonomous unit for mid-mall snacking.” Who has the time
to think of these things? Losers like Brodie and TS, mallrats, worthless
layabouts who have no ambition, and to top it off, they’ve both been
dumped. It’s
a simple plot, really. TS wants to propose to his girlfriend in
Universal Studios when jaws pops out of the water, but she breaks up
with him mere hours before this should take place because her father
needs a contestant for his game show. Her breakup line is priceless.
It’s so stupid, but girls all over the nation say it. Claire
Forlani’s acting in this is bad, but she isn’t in enough of the
movie for us to care. The
real gem here is Jason Lee. Without him this movie is stupid, but I
could sit and watch Brodie talk forever. He’s hilarious. He seems to
love the world, and really not have a care in it, but at the same time,
he speaks like he hates everything. It’s just funny to watch. Jason
Lee has quickly become one of my favorite actors, especially after this
role. The
side characters are terrific. The guy who stands and stares at the 3D
picture? Priceless. Jay and Silent Bob? Priceless. The Stan Lee cameo?
Priceless: “of course, the green goblin showed up and pumpkin bombed
the Hell out of them” . . .
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