The original “Clerks” was an underground hit but despite its cleverness, I found it a little underwhelming. “Clerks II” is far more amusing with really witty dialog but it pushes the grossness too far and ultimately that’s what killed it for me. I can tolerate the bad language when the writing is this good but I cannot stomach watching an explicit sexual sequence involving a donkey.

“Clerks II” follows the mundane lives of Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson), who now work at a fast-food restaurant named Mooby’s (the same place that first appeared in another Kevin Smith directed movie, “Dogma”). It’s Dante’s last day as he hopes to leave with his fiancée as they head to Florida but things don’t go as planned.

The Dante and Randal characters dish out plenty of funny dialog but they aren’t the stars of the show here as easily the best character is Elias (Trevor Fehrman). This young guy is as innocent as he comes and nearly every conversation he has with Randal messes with his view of the world. Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith of course return as Jay and Silent Bob but they don’t really add anything here. Some of the other cameos such as the one by Ben Affleck (“Argo”) feel totally pointless.

I found a lot of “Clerks II” really funny. This is a disgusting movie from beginning to end but its smart writing makes conversations about Helen Keller, racism and the “Lord of the Rings” versus “Star Wars” very amusing. However, it crosses the line with a graphic scene near the end that is completely unjustified. It’s a shame that Kevin Smith didn’t realise the limit of his comedic talent as he needlessly provides us with a sequence so painfully perverted that it hinders the whole picture.