When it comes to being serious, this film is frivolous with it. Of all stupid comedies I have ever seen, this one takes the Lombardi Trophy. It a smattering of silliness, sageness, and suaveness and all of these elements are harmonious with one another. "Mallrats" is Kevin Smith's least serious film but one of the most hilarious. I recommend this movie to all fans of stupid comedy because it is not your average stupid comedy (like Dude, Where's My Car or Dumb and Dumber).<br /><br />Here are my reasons (spoilers): (1) The soliloquy given by Jason Lee in the first two minutes of the film is one of the funniest yet sickest stories of all time. I couldn't contain my laughter if I died trying. I taken with the movie from then on. (2) Speaking of Jason Lee, this man is the inheritor of the title of "smart-a** comedian" from Chevy Chase. As I heard Lee rant, I was easily reminded of Chevy Chase but with a more caustic and angry visage. If Lee finds the right comedic roles from here on out, he could be remembered as a comedic legend. He also had the best performance in the film. (3) The silliness of "Mallrats" is done in exquisite fashion. The characters of Jay and Silent Bob provide the needed stupidity to Jason's Lee intelligent ranting and hilarity. I love the scenes where these boys try to turn the stage into rubble while trying to take out the head security guard. That is a recipe for multiple laughs. (4) The suaveness of "Mallrats" comes in with the tackling of some very adult issues in a really lighthearted fashion. The aspect of a fifteen-year old female doing every man in the neighborhood for research on a manuscript detailing their shortcomings is pretty heavy and almost sadistic stuff. The film pulls some interesting punches on the issues of sexual inadequacy, drug use, youth and authority, parenting, slacking and so on without falling into preachiness. If "Mallrats" had gone had tried to be serious while trying to also be slapstick, it was have fallen even further away from critics and the masses alike. (5) Kevin Smith has a knack for smart and realistic dialogue. He must be an expert eavesdropper because he had to do some sort of research to hone his wordsmithing ability. It doesn't matter if that thought is correct or not because the dialogue rules either way. I have heard people quote this movie word for word and to me, it means the writer did something right. (6) Ethan Suplee's battle with the Magic Eye poster is a jewel among all comedic sequences ever made. I really loved it when he just lashed out at those who could see the sailboat while he couldn't. Even pure, raw desperation can make for hilarious moments. (7) Ben Affleck did well as the smarmy, annoying shop manager who goes after Shannen Doherty. His pre-JLO work is among his best stuff. (8) Every town that has a 'good mall' must have a 'dirt mall' and that set of scenes really hit home for me. I worked for nine months in a 'dirt mall' and it was fun. It was one hundred times cleaner than the 'dirt mall' in the film but everybody else shopped at the big mall on the south end of the city I work and play in. It made me feel nostalgic. (9) I loved the denouement of the film. That set of sequences shows that a master hand is at work. (10) That master hand belongs to Kevin Smith and he is very talented at creating films. Even at his least serious, he can make something that will make you feel good and not stupid at the same time. The true stupid comedies always make you feel this way. Ten reasons give a score of ten.<br /><br />Overall, "Mallrats" is a stupid comedy to be reckoned with. It is silly like "Happy Gilmore", sage like "Rushmore", and suave like "Raising Arizona". It is rare to find a comedy that balances all three of these traits perfectly and "Mallrats" succeeds immensely. It is all right to keep your brain on here and it is also all right to turn your brain off as well because this is entertainment as it's finest. Here ends my rant!