MALLRATS
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
*** (out of 4 = good) 1995, R, 95 minutes [1 hour, 35 minutes] [comedy] starring: Jason Lee (Brodie), Jeremy London (T.S.), Shannen Doherty (Rene), Claire Forlani (Brandi), Michael Rooker (Mr. Spenning), produced by James Jacks, Sean Daniel, Scott Mosier, written and directed by Kevin Smith.
There have been a lot of movies about GenXers that try to be realistic by placing them in their "natural surroundings." But the movie execs forget that GenXers love to hang out at the malls (the bigger the better), and this is an entire movie exploiting that. Newcomer Kevin Smith has once again captured the spirit of youth by making a funny and wholly original movie that is virtually without plot, yet is very entertaining and hilarious. First there is Brodie (Lee), a typical apathetic fanboy who also has a very nice girlfriend, Rene (Doherty), who he likes, but doesn't know what to do with. His problem is he treats her like one of the guys and this is why she dumps him. Then there is T.S. (London), who is also dumped by his girlfriend, Brandi (Forlani), after the two get into a fight over her appearance on her father's dating game show at the mall. And so the two buds, both dumped on the same day, try to find pleasure at that little Heaven on Earth - The Mall. The mall is packed with interesting characters, among them are: the preppy bully who has a grudge against Brodie because he hates "mallrats;" the idiot who stares at the 3-D poster all day trying desperately to see the image; and then there is Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith). These two troublemakers have even less to do than anyone, so why not not do nothing at the mall? Smith knows how to work the element of friends who don't seem like they would be friends, which is must have been difficult to script, and perhaps even more difficult to act out. Brodie is a comic junkie who doesn't understand the preppiness of T.S. Why the two are friends is a mystery, but they do have a great sense of comradery between them. They talk about their guy stuff like sexual conquests and whether or not Lois Lane could carry Superman's baby, which isn't the kind of dialogue usually recited in such films, and it's very funny. Eventually T.S. confronts Brandi's father, Mr. Spenning (Rooker), about how he is just trying to keep him away from Brandi, and Spenning acknowledges it with great pride. Then the film becomes a parody of zany commercial comedies. There are chases scenes and topless fortune tellers. And of course a sit-com-esque turn of events that might be a bit cheesy, but is still funny. The ending a huge, overly climatic scene, and everything that had been a problem before is resolved. It's predictable, but it's a satire - it doesn't try to be something to take seriously. A lot of action happens in "Mallrats," but in the end everything is back to normal. It's just been another Saturday at the mall, only a bit more wild. (3/31/96) (2/2/97) (5/20/97) [see also: "Chasing Amy," "Clerks"]
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