Johnny Depp as some sort of Inspector Clouseau/Alan from The Hangover lovechild detective. A gang of living Nazi sausages called Bratzis (seen above). Something about yoga. And two main characters that share the same first name. There’s a lot going on in the trailer for Kevin Smith’s Yoga Hosers, and none of it seems to make any sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtcKxPeH4hY
I have loved some Kevin Smith movies (Clerks, Mallrats and especially Dogma) and not loved some (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) but even those had their moments. This one feels like it’s entering a new phase of his career—the down-slide.
Yoga Hosers starts out feeling a like a female-led reboot of Clerks. It seemingly focuses on newcomer Lily-Rose Melody Depp and Harley Quinn Smith (AKA Johnny and Kevin’s daughters) as two social-media dependent Canadian teens, who both happen to be named Colleen and work at a mini mart. It continues into the Mall Rats/Superbad-type territory with what looks like will be a teen-coming of age story after the high school sophomore girls are invited to a senior party. There’s even a sex-predator warning about high-school senior boys.
We’re good so far. In fact, I would almost consider watching this movie at this point.
Then we’re introduced to the costumed Depp, the Bratzis and some kind of subplot involving Justin Long as a yoga instructor. The trailer bounces from teen comedy to mystery to horror film which has worked in movies like Army of Darkness. But where Darkness felt clever and new, this feels forced and silly.
Yoga Hosers is the second installment in Smith’s True North Trilogy. The first movie Tusk has 41% Rotten Tomato score. So far Yoga Hosers has a 25%. Ouch. Kevin Smith has done brilliant, groundbreaking work, but watching the trailer for Yoga Hosers reminds me that it was a long time ago, in a mini mart far, far away.
Yoga Hosers is rated PG-13 and will hit theaters July 29.
