“For years, Smith vowed not to make a sequel to the first film, and he denies “Clerks II” is merely an attempt to cash in on the notoriety of its predecessor. “Clerks” was a hit on video and spawned a comic book and an animated TV series.

“If I was going to try to make money, I would have made (big-budget movie) ‘The Green Hornet.’ I would have made, like, $5 million just to direct,” Smith said. “‘Clerks” (II) whole budget was 5 million bucks,” Smith said.”

MSN/AP – “‘Clerks’ returns, with hints of growing up”

“…I was just like, that’s a sacred cow, and I shouldn’t really mess with the first movie,” Smith said. “It’s the one that put me on the map. What if your sequel sucks, and then people retroactively go back and hate the first one, and you lose all that good will?”

Yahoo/AP – “Clerks II: Something To Offend Everyone”

“…There’s something in this to offend everyone,” said Rosario Dawson, who co-stars as the Mooby’s manager. “So many movies that are made now are so safe. They’re trying to get as broad of an audience as possible, and the product is so watered down it’s just an insult to the intelligence of most audiences. That’s not at all what Kevin does.

“Clerks II” features cameos from Smith regulars Ben Affleck and Jason Lee, plus the return of drug dealers Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith), though they’re no longer users themselves, a nod to party-hearty Mewes staying sober for the last three years.

“I think people relate to Jay and Silent Bob, dudes just sitting around smoking weed and being obnoxious,” said Mewes. “A lot of people tell me, `I have a friend just like that.’”

For all its vulgarity, “Clerks II” has a sweet sensibility and ultimately takes Dante and Randal to a place that should please fans of the original flick — and could leave them counting on “Clerks III.”

Smith said he would not rule that out, and he hopes to do a straight-to-video animated “Clerks” movie. But a third live-action film would be a tough sell for Anderson, who only agreed to do “Clerks II” after a lot of arm-twisting.

“If Kevin thought he had a hard time convincing me to do number two, he’s in for a real battle to do number three,” said Anderson, who initially thought the sequel was a bad idea but signed on because he liked the script. “This one’s a very nice bookend to `Clerks,’ and I think the ending is really poignant.”

NorthJersey.com – “Fanboys Run The Show”

“…And what of Kevin Smith — who has written comic books, named his daughter Harley Quinn after a DC comics character, and opened his own comic store (Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash) in Red Bank? Need you ask?

“My generation, we sat around talking about sex, and we talked about pop culture,” Smith says.

Alexandia Times – “The Passion of Kevin Smith”

“…The end result, as far as Smith is concerned, is his best movie to date. “I do, I think it is [my best movie] I’m sure a lot of people disagree … I love it, though. It speaks to me … I am in that place in my life. I know exactly how Randal feels. I’m dialed in on it.”

And he hopes the fans will see his passion for the film and dial in, too. Smith, who has actively pursued interactions with the fans since he first jumped onto the Internet in 1995, realizes many see the first as a “seminal Indie film,” but knows that “Clerks II” is consistent with what the fans love best: two dudes sitting around talking for ninety minutes. “I love the fan base more than I love my own child,” said Smith. “I love my kid, but without those people I don’t have a job.” And to help get current fans, and prospective new ones, even more excited about the film, Smith is pioneering a new idea – a theatrical release commentary.

One week after “Clerks II” opens, Smith will release for download through iTunes, and eventually his own website, a director’s commentary for the film; thereby allowing fans the opportunity for an enriched second theatrical viewing.”

NJ.Com – “Directors tell Gen X’ers to grow up”

“…Smith, a former Quick Stop clerk and Monmouth County postal employee, has come a long way since, with a résumé of six more idiosyncratic films reflecting his elevation of the very common man and his decidedly potty- mouth way of expressing things.

“Clerks II” is the latest. It opens nationwide Friday.

“I wanted to write about being in my 30s,” the 35-year-old director explains during a Philadelphia visit. “I wanted to create new characters and have Dante and Randal (the clerks in the original movie) go to town.”