Jacob O’Neal reviewedJuly 6, 2025
I am one of the few people who saw this film in theaters when it was released. I fell in love with Clerks when it was released and couldn’t wait for Mallrats. Until 2000, I used to watch this movie all the time. Then I played a drinking game on New Years with some friends and from that point forward, the movie reminded me of being more hung over than ever so I stopped watching till the original cut was released on DVD. I found it online recently and decided to give it a second shot. The opening was so much different and very, very dull, along with many other changes throughout that related to a deleted plot point. It’s still sucks this way. I tried to watch it again and give it a fair shake but it’s like a bad pre-Buffy WB drama for the first 30 minutes before finally getting to the mall.
If you’re gonna watch this movie, please watch the theatrical cut. It’s fun to see what could have been, but it lowers the score of this film so much. This movie launched the careers of Jason Lee, Ben Affleck and Ethan Suplee. The movie is cheesy, funny, poorly constructed and uneven, but still entertains. Somehow, Kevin Smith was a better director with his second film than he was for the last 5 movies he’s made. He’s one of the most uneven directors I’ve ever seen. Red State was beautifully directed. Tusk was well directed. Jay & Silent Bob Reboot looks like a fan film. And don’t get me started on Yoga Hosers. How does that happen? Mallrats, Smith still had something to prove. He found some awesome actors and made a movie that endears despite its faults, unlike his NFT movie.