Ranking All Kevin Smith Films (Worst to Best)
An amazing side effect of this video is that it got me thinking about Kevin Smith's filmography! Kevin's love for comic book characters and Canada in general, let alone Degrassi, has always made him an interesting person to me. Let's see how well his films hold up!
Film/Rank:
#12- Yoga Hosers (2016)
Why Though:
I get what Kevin was aiming for and I can appreciate that. Who wouldn't want to cast their daughter as the hero of a series of films? Plus it's set in Canada... I LIVE THERE! Unfortunately, the execution comes off as a bit too half-hearted. I don't want to be mean about the performances. I just mean that it never quite reaches the tongue-in-cheek of 60s Batman Kevin loves so much, and sort of lives in that Disney Channel area. Which means there's an audience for this, but it's not me.
Would I Rewatch:
I don't think so.
Film/Rank:
#11- Cop Out (2010)
Why Though:
I don't know why I was looking forward to this movie when I first heard about it. Possibly because I was deep into Kevin Smith's podcasts, books, and Evenings With... So I heard the build up and knew that Kevin loved Bruce Willis. Plus Stifler and Tracy Morgan were involved. I guess the first sign of trouble was the change of name from "A Couple of Dicks" to Cop Out... which seemed like a cop out. This movie really is about a valuable baseball card. The whole movie felt like I was seeing a deeply edited version of what was really meant to be. Plus it was the beginning of me realizing, along with Kevin, that Bruce isn't bulletproof. He is capable of turning in weak performances.
Would I Rewatch:
I just might actually. Now that my expectations aren't so high maybe I can appreciate the movie for what it is?
Film/Rank:
#10- Mallrats (1995)
Why Though:
My big takeaways from this movie were chocolate covered pretzels and the Jay and Silent Bob "homage" to '89 Batman. I feel like Tim Burton and Kevin were beefing at the time or were about to so I was mostly watching this movie for shots at Mr. Burton. I didn't even fully appreciate the Stan Lee cameo before getting a Stan Lee cameo was a big thing! At the end of the day, I feel like this movie mostly suffered from a lead I just couldn't get into. In addition to a shift in tone from what I was used to (I didn't see these movies in the order they were released). This movie felt almost trivial... and I loved just chilling at the mall.
Would I Rewatch:
I should rewatch this. I think I could find more to like about it today than when I first watched it.
Film/Rank:
#9- Clerks II (2006)
Why Though:
I suppose I was looking for more of a Jay and Silent Bob 2 here. That wasn't fair to this movie. I love that Rosario Dawson features heavily in this movie. I liked the idea that cameos could come in the form of Mooby customers, I'm in the bag for Jay and Silent Bob antics, and I LOVED the Lord of the Rings take down. Yet and still, the rest of the movie. Mostly the Randall and Dante aspects seemed to be more miss than hit for me. I also wasn't up for how much time was dedicated to the Donkey show.
Would I Rewatch:
No, thank you.
Film/Rank:
#8- Tusk (2014)
Why Though:
I know people are looking at me crazy for putting this movie above most of the previous movies on this list. I'm pretty sure Clerks II is Kevin's favourite movie. But I was along for the ride on this movie. I liked the Misery-esque way Justin was treated by Michael Park's character and I didn't even mind Johnny Depp's French Canadian detective (I think). It's mostly the ending that I feels off. The movie promises that Justin Long will turn into a walrus, and there is no reason to believe otherwise, but, when it happens, it doesn't feel earned somehow. It is admittedly crazy that I somehow bumped up against the whole point of the movie once it actually happened, but it is what it is.
Would I Rewatch:
I don't think I will.
Film/Rank:
#7- Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Why Though:
The idea of Seth Rogen collaborating with Kevin Smith was an amazing idea to me! I appreciated both of their approaches to comedy and figured it would be great to watch whatever they came up with together. Apparently no one else did. Isn't this the movie that drove Kevin to becoming a stoner to cope with how poorly the movie did? I don't really care about the numbers any of these movies did, I only care about how much I liked them. And while I didn't love it like I thought I would, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I bought the relationship at the center of the story with Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen. Plus there was a nice Brandon Routh cameo that I like to believe led to his role in Arrow and eventually Legends of Tomorrow!
Would I Rewatch:
Yeah I probably will watch it many times going forward.
Film/Rank:
#6- Jersey Girl (2004)
Why Though:
People don't like this movie because they don't like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez together. And while I've never been excited about Jennifer Lopez starring in or being in a movie, this movie has a lot to like. Specifically how a man can learn to love the daughter he sort of blames for the death of his wife. It's not a simple big shot who's too busy for family learns to slow life down and enjoy family. And yes, the inclusion of Will Smith is cool to me! George Carlin is in this movie in a touching role (pretty sure it's his last on screen appearance in a feature film too). Plus they worked in music from Sweeney Todd (damn Tim Burton touched on that property too...). I'm all in for that!
Would I Rewatch:
Sure, why not.
Film/Rank:
#5- Clerks (1994)
Why Though:
I'm all in for scenes with snappy dialogue. This movie had the perfect setup for pop culture filled references and conversations that make the audiences say "that's like me and my friends!" or "I don't much are for my job either, right now!" I think the movie lost me when someone has sex with a corpse. But that's my own prudish sensibility that I have to check, I suppose. I also retroactively appreciate that when I first met Pauline, she'd sing the berzerker song.
Would I Rewatch:
Funnily enough, I don't think I'll ever voluntarily watch this movie again.
Film/Rank:
#4- Chasing Amy (1997)
Why Though:
Kevin Smith isn't just about the jokes. My favourite movies by him feature subject matter that is just a bit more complicated than you'd initially expect. Chasing Amy is about a man who falls in love with a lesbian. Don't get me wrong, the movie does have a problematic tone considering some come away from the movie thinking Kevin thinks that all any lesbian needs is one good man to change her mind. I don't think that's what the point is, however, the movie does leave room to believe that. I just liked that the movie dealt with a different kind of unrequited love.
Would I Rewatch:
I probably should rewatch this movie to see if it's as good as I remember.
Film/Rank:
#3- Red State (2011)
Why Though:
This movie is Kevin Smith completely dropping the comedy so he can do a thriller and I dig it. A lot of that has to do with the dope cast that Kevin assembled. Check the hyperlinked title for details, but clearly Michael Parks is the reason to watch this movie with Melissa Leo and John Goodman putting in great work as expected. A religious cult captures three young men with promises of sex and things go wrong. The ending where you think that maybe this cult was on to something, is a dope scene. I get how some people may not be on board with this film, but I can't deny how it drew me in a way that only made me doubt or questions things after the movie was done. I was able to just enjoy the film all the way through while I was in the theatre.
Would I Rewatch:
Definitely.
Film/Rank:
#2- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Why Though:
If you're like me and you like Deadpool and Deadpool 2 check out Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It's meta, there is irreverence galore, 4th wall breaking, and some real dope cameos. Some of them are really of the time, and others are timeless, like Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and George Carlin! I really liked the idea of Jay and Silent bob finding out about the internet and then actually trying to do something about comment section bullies and Hollywood trying to get paid off their backs. I also appreciated the meta moments like when Kevin aired out his distaste for Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia and the infamous Aint It Cool News!
Would I Rewatch:
Yeah, I'll definitely get into this again soon.
Film/Rank:
#1- Dogma (1999)
Why Though:
I saw the trailer for this movie and thought, YUP! I'd watch that. Add to that how many people in my life were seeing it and talking about how they liked it despite how sacrilegious they found it. This movie has another dope cast, and has an amazing Matt Damon performance. Regardless of how I feel about him now, I can't deny he made me a true fan in his role as Loki... OH MY GOD I GET WHY HE WAS LOKI IN RAGNAROK NOW!!! Ben's good too. I especially like Chris Rock, Linda Firentino, and Alan Rickman. The movie has the perfect mix of comedy and lines that make you think for me. It's the film I'll always hold on to whenever people hate on Kevin Smith. Also, did Love Actually copy the Airport idea, as well as casting Alan Rickman in movies from Dogma? Something to think about.
Would I Rewatch:
I'm probably watching it while you read this right now.
-YG