Kevin Smith's collection of View Askew films is one of the funniest comedy franchises/universes of the last few decades. The "View Askewniverse" was born in 1994 with the cult classic Clerks. All of Kevin Smith's films are based in New Jersey and center around a small cast of mostly wayward twenty-somethings.
There are eight View Askew films and a ninth on the way in 2022 (Clerks III, set to premiere in the fall). Despite how entertaining these films were at the time of their release, a few harsh realities come to light when rewatching them.
10 The Humor Doesn't Always Hold Up
About half of the View Askew movies were filmed during the '90s and largely employed the type of gross-out bodily humor that was popular at the time. Even the more modern films, such as Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, employ this humor style, but it doesn't have the comedic impact that it used to have.
Gross-out humor is mostly out of fashion in the modern movie landscape, so audiences aren't as accustomed to seeing it as they were in the '90s. The films are still funny in a nostalgic sense, but many of the View Askew gross-out jokes have lost their punch.
9 Some Films' Plots Are Too Predictable
It's natural to know what's going to happen when rewatching a movie, but certain small twists and turns along the way usually still feel fresh. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for some View Askew films.
For example, comedies are often formulaic in nature, but Mall Rats goes one step too far with a plot that is predictable in every scene. Mall Rats will always have a loyal following among View Askew film fans, but even Kevin Smith himself admits that it isn't his favorite film.
8 The Once-Funny Stereotypes Feel Stale Or Offensive
Overplayed stereotypes were part of what made the View Askew movies so novel and funny when they first premiered. Upon a rewatch, however, some of those stereotypes feel offensive. For instance, Jay is often offensive towards women due to his lewd comments.
While these comments were deemed funny by audiences at the turn of the century, many modern viewers find misogynistic jokes offensive. Even for nostalgic viewers who are rewatching the films, some of Jay's comments and jokes feel especially cringe-worthy.
7 The Sequels Don't Live Up To The Hype
There's no debating the greatness of the original films, but fans are divided on how well some sequels measure up. Clerks 2 and Jay And Silent Bob Reboot both reprise some classic characters and storylines with a more modern twist.
This gives each sequel a winning nostalgia factor. The films have plenty of merit on their own but pale in comparison to the original films. Some stories really are best the first time around, and that proves true for the View Askew franchise in many cases.
6 A Few Themes Are Problematic For Modern Viewers
Some View Askew films were quite controversial when they were released, but the passage of time has rendered some of their off-color themes downright offensive. Chasing Amy, for instance, features some controversy regarding how Holden interacts with love interest Alyssa.
Holden all but insists that Alyssa can just "turn off" her sexuality as if it were a light switch, which is definitely a problematic opinion in the eyes of a modern audience. Fans rewatching Chasing Amy may wonder just how Kevin Smith got away with such a controversial premise in the mid-'90s.
5 The Satire In The Films Didn't Age Well
For all of their low-brow humor, the View Askew films are also known for their satire. However, the humor isn't as great the second time around. Dogma features plenty of satirical elements that revolve around Christianity, which caused plenty of controversy at the time of its release.
Much of the shock value has worn off, but Dogma's outdated satire follows the divine punishments the angels deliver to sinners. Public killings are far too common in the news headlines of today, so rewatching these scenes hits a sour note with viewers.
4 The Characters In The Films Also Didn't Age Well
The sequel films in the View Askew franchise depict some of the most well-loved characters as older and slightly more mature. However, most of them appear to be stuck in the past, still holding on to their past behaviors and ways of thinking.
On a first watch, this stunted quality earns plenty of laughs. On a rewatch, however, it's actually quite sad. Watching beloved characters make very little personal progress from one film to the next can be a tough experience for diehard fans.
3 Some Catchphrases Are Too Cheesy For Modern Audiences
Cheesy catchphrases were common in '90s and '00s comedies, but this is another type of humor that has fallen out of style. Many of the View Askew movies have a reputation for being highly quotable, and certain characters have signature catchphrases that audiences instantly loved.
Some iconic catchphrases still hold up on a rewatch, but many more are just plain cringe-worthy. Lines that used to make viewers smirk at their irony are now the equivalent of dad jokes: still funny, but definitely worth an eye roll or two.
2 The Animated Versions Fall Short Of The Originals
Though the only animated film in the franchise is Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie, there was also a short-lived animated television series based on Clerks. Unfortunately, neither animated version quite lived up to their live-action counterparts.
Clerks: The Animated Series had low ratings from the start and only ran for six episodes. Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie received very mixed reviews from critics and fans. On a rewatch, it's clear that the animated additions to the franchise didn't really do anything new with their source material, which is part of why they weren't as successful.
1 No Other Film Quite Stands Up To Clerks
Clerks is the film that started it all, and is basically the gold standard for the View Askew films. Most of its content has stood the test of time and is just as beloved as it was in 1994. Clerks' messages about the existential crisis that encompasses most people's twenties still resonate, whether on a first watch or a rewatch.
However, all of this excellence is a major drawback for the franchise as a whole: no other Kevin Smith movie has quite reached the smart, enduring heights of this unassuming black-and-white classic. Unfortunately, the shared universe of all the films means that comparisons are common, and there's just no comparing the understated wit of Clerks with the raunchier comedy of the later films.