The gang is back in this third and final installment of the franchise that launched some guy named Kevin Smith.

Dante Hicks and Randall Graves have been the owners of the Quick-Stop Grocery Mart in New Jersey for over fifteen years. However, things aren’t always peachy, especially for Dante as he lost his wife Becky and daughter Grace shortly after buying the store. Elias got a job at the store while local stoners Jay and Silent Bob now own the former video store, which they turned into their own cannabis store. However, one day, dealing with the stresses of work every day, Randal ends up suffering a near-fatal heart attack but survives the operation.

Upon waking up, Randal realizes where his life has been going and decides to do something about. Having watched so many movies, he opts to make a movie about life as a convenient store clerk. Despite a little reluctance from Dante, Randal gets his friend’s support to make the movie. They get help from Jay and Silent Bob, Elias, and Elias’s buddy, Blockchain Coltrane. As they make the movie, the best friends run into some old friends, and it leads to some good things and some bad things. Soon enough, it leads to something shocking, both bad and good for this lifelong friendship.

Sixteen years after the chaotic Clerks II, which pushed the envelope to where even legendary film critic Joel Siegel walked out, Kevin Smith finally unleashes the finale of the franchise that launched his prolific career, and which brought back his trademark Silent Bob alongside Jason Mewes’ Jay.

Of course, the franchise isn’t the franchise without Brian O’Halloran’s Dante and Jeff Anderson’s Randal. Anderson had long bailed out of reprising the role until he saw the script and was convinced to make his final run as the foul-mouthed yin to Dante’s overreactive yang. The part of the story involving Randal’s heart attack was actually based on the real-life situation with Kevin Smith, who suffered a heart attack in 2018 and where it inspired him to finally make this film, Randal would be inspired to make what would essentially be the first Clerks film.

The shocking factor of the film is the extended cameo by Rosario Dawson as Becky, having died shortly after the purchase of the Quick Stop and she becomes Dante’s conscience when he is faced with a dilemma, knowing how much he misses her. These scenes are actually very emotional and play a part in Dante’s life while Randal goes to great lengths to get the movie made. It is here we see some familiar faces from the first film, notably Marilyn Ghigliotti returning as Veronica. Sadly, Lisa Spoonauer passed away in 2017, with the film being dedicated to her memory while Smith’s wife Jennifer Schwalbach returns to the role of Emma, Dante’s ex-fiance from Clerks II, who still holds a grudge against him for his actions.

There are many cameos in a scene where Dante and Randal hold auditions for roles in the film within a film. Ben Affleck, Fred Armisen, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Melissa Benoist, Chris Wood, and Ethan Suplee are just a few of the names that come in during this scene and it’s quite funny. What’s even more shocking in some crazy way is Trevor Fehrman’s Elias undergoing a change in his beliefs as he goes from Christian supporter to a King Diamond-sporting metalhead with his change in looks being a running gag of the film.

Clerks III is the finale that you may, or not may expect. There are some shocking moments but not of the raunchy variety like its predecessor. However, seeing the return of Randal and Dante along with Jay and Silent Bob should be enough to whet your appetite for the final adventure of these convenient store clerks.

WFG RATING: A-

Lionsgate presents a View Askew production in association with Destro Films. Director: Kevin Smith. Producers: Liz Destro and Jordan Monsanto. Writer: Kevin Smith. Cinematography: Learan Kahanov. Editing: Kevin Smith.

Cast: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Amy Sedaris, Justin Long, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Jennifer Schwalbach, Rosario Dawson.