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Well, I guess it had to come sooner or later. The ViewAskewniverse has spawned many a memorable character but the disciples of Kevin Smith have long been split in two halves, ever since Mallrats was released: who is better, Randall or Brodie? Both are funny and clever, always stealing the show...but which one is better? There's only one way to find out: a lengthy examination!
*groans, one cheer and then even more groans*
1: The Background
The astute Smithomaniacs out there may have noticed that Randall and Brodie both mention a cousin Walter, hinting at the fact they could be related...and really, you can believe it with their many similarities. A great quote from Clerks involves Randall speaking about a relative's untimely demise, breaking their neck whilst trying to give themselves a blow job. Brodie also tells two stories in Mallrats, one being the oft-told 'cat up the ass' tale and the other being the fascinating 'mile-high masturbation' yarn. So, they can both drop in with anecdotes relating to relations, but which character has the most background depth? Well, unfortunately we learn precious little of Randall, whereas Brodie tells us so very much more than we needed to know. For example, his grandma became a lesbian on her sixtieth birthday. Going on the strength of 'that car conversation' Randall has a lot to share with us...but frustratingly, he keeps schtum. So, going on sheer volume, BRODIE wins this round with his various family phrases and tall tales.
RANDALL 0 BRODIE 1
2: Idle Chatter
OK, so we've got the party pieces out of the way...how do our two characters fare in every-day small talk situations? They're both strong contenders as every Smith character worth his or her salt needs to be able to make the banal brilliant. Mallrats is full of shopping trip filler, such as debates over whether cookie stands outside of the designatedarea still count as part of the food court, due to their cookie selling nature. However, Clerks is even more rhubarb driven, with lengthy conversations on the subject of independent contractors working on the Death Star, and if their deaths were directly caused by the Jedi Order. In fact, Clerks is almost all talk and the plot barely ever encroaches on Randall's nuggets of brilliance. Be it complaining about the bad quality of films his shop stocks, or marvelling at the brilliance of chicks with d*cks, he definitely shines. Brodie puts up a good fight, but RANDALL wins to tie the scores.
RANDALL 1 BRODIE 1
3: Hostility
With Dante and TS respectively, Randall and Brodie both have two long-standing best friends - but although they're usually nice around their buddies, both have a bit of a mean streak, especially with regards to strangers. Brodie attempts to start some expletive deleted when a kid gets rowdy in the comic book store line, but with the nature of Randall's job we get many more chances to see him get nasty; and boy, does he get nasty! When a young child and a mother come in to request 'Happy Scrappy Power Pup' he must first order a string of questionable videos such as 'Huge Black ***** Full of Pearly White ***'. When one innocent man asks the name of a cute cat, Randall replies with 'annoying customer'. When another says they're offended by he and Dante's conversation, he shoves an extremely explicit porno centrefold. Even when he's not being downright horrible, Randall can use his intelligence to put down others, the best example being the 'ruse' scene with the woman asking for his opinion on two separate films. Far and away, RANDALL wins the third challenge.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 1
4: Cunning
Both often come into sticky situations...in Brodie's case, quite literally, with the chocolate covered pretzel scene. But the question is, who can blag their way out? Well, let's take a look at some case studies. Randall inadvertently knocks over a casket at a friend's wake (the girl who died in the YMCA pool, also mentioned at the start of Mallrats). Does he talk his way to safety, think up an excuse, or create a hair-brained scheme? He runs, Dante in toe. When Brodie finds his friend in need of help, he hires Jay and Silent Bob to wreck the stage. He manages to get his way into the dating game, again with the help of the two loveable stoners, and in between he gets one over on Mr Svenning with a magic handshake. Really, Randall seems to be able to talk his way into situations such as closing the Quick-Stop to play hockey, but when it comes to getting out of them, for example selling cigarettes to a minor, he falls way short of BRODIE's experience and flair.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 2
5: Interaction With Other Characters
Where many one-dimensional characters are exposed is when they are faced with other, not so familiar faces. Brodie is obviously close buddies with Jay and Silent Bob, and seems to knopw everyone at the mall, from Trish the Dish to Gwen. He even manages to get close to the topless fortune teller, and that was after knowing her for ten minutes max. Unfortunately, Randall's dialogue with people that aren't Dante is sparse to say the least. Occasional customers that meet him no doubt offer hilarious moments, but put him next to either of his best friend's female companions and he seems shallow compared to the opposition. Sure, he's great for the most part, but Brodie really does seem to have a thriving social life in comparison to Randall's relative reclusiveness. So, BRODIE goes into the lead once more.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 3
6: Depth
Not character depth as in the point before, but more depth of thoughts. Of course, Kevin Smith always has very clever characters talking about very silly things, which is why the 'd*ck and fart jokes with long words in them' is so popular. Randall and Brodie are shining examples, both being deep thinkers, applying everyday situations to great philosophical debates. The aforementioned Death Star tirade exhibits Randall's awareness of the importance of good being good and not evil, and Brodie takes comic book characters and thinks of what the real life implications of the powers would be (like appendages that can stretch like elastic, or are made of rock). Admittedly, Brodie's thoughts seem dominated by sex but that makes him all the more identifiable...however, Randall is clearly a deeper thinker. His talk with Dante at the end of the film about his station in life shows why many people hold him to be some sort of Christ figure, in adidas trainers and faded jeans. So RANDALL equalises.
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 3
7: Overall Charm
It's the big one. The tiebreaker. Which character is more likeable? Is it Randall, the acidic young man with razor sharp wit? Or maybe it's Brodie, the self deprecating yet infectiously funny geek? Well, Randall definitely has a big appeal. He just seems so cool, the person we all want to be like. Whereas Brodie is just a really cool guy; quirky (his girlfriend gave him a stripshow to the Mighty Mouse theme), warped (his tales of family life confirm that anything other than severe psychological damage is out of the question) and always hilarious. He's got the friends, he's got the girl, he's got the audacity but the personality to match. Randall seems like he'd be a Fonz for the Nirvana generation, but Brodie seems more like the best friend that everyone else wants for a best friend. Fun to be around, or fun to just watch. It's close, but I think BRODIE edges it for the final round.
FINAL SCORE:
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 4
It was always going to be close, and the result may reflect Smith's preferance (Jason Lee, who played Brodie, has been in all Smith films since Mallrats in various guises, whereas Randall has a few short scenes in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and a cameo in Dogma. That's it. Personally, I prefer Randall. He just oozes with brilliance, and he's my favourite film character ever. The reason he gets all the best lines may be because Smith originally intended to play the character himself, but that still shouldn't take anything away from Randall. Still, Brodie matches him almost every step of the way, and he has his share of fans.
If you had no idea what this post was about, go rent 'Clerks' and 'Mallrats', then 'Chasing Amy', 'Dogma' and 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'. If you've done this already...well, reply with your thoughts on the thread.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey
*groans, one cheer and then even more groans*
1: The Background
The astute Smithomaniacs out there may have noticed that Randall and Brodie both mention a cousin Walter, hinting at the fact they could be related...and really, you can believe it with their many similarities. A great quote from Clerks involves Randall speaking about a relative's untimely demise, breaking their neck whilst trying to give themselves a blow job. Brodie also tells two stories in Mallrats, one being the oft-told 'cat up the ass' tale and the other being the fascinating 'mile-high masturbation' yarn. So, they can both drop in with anecdotes relating to relations, but which character has the most background depth? Well, unfortunately we learn precious little of Randall, whereas Brodie tells us so very much more than we needed to know. For example, his grandma became a lesbian on her sixtieth birthday. Going on the strength of 'that car conversation' Randall has a lot to share with us...but frustratingly, he keeps schtum. So, going on sheer volume, BRODIE wins this round with his various family phrases and tall tales.
RANDALL 0 BRODIE 1
2: Idle Chatter
OK, so we've got the party pieces out of the way...how do our two characters fare in every-day small talk situations? They're both strong contenders as every Smith character worth his or her salt needs to be able to make the banal brilliant. Mallrats is full of shopping trip filler, such as debates over whether cookie stands outside of the designatedarea still count as part of the food court, due to their cookie selling nature. However, Clerks is even more rhubarb driven, with lengthy conversations on the subject of independent contractors working on the Death Star, and if their deaths were directly caused by the Jedi Order. In fact, Clerks is almost all talk and the plot barely ever encroaches on Randall's nuggets of brilliance. Be it complaining about the bad quality of films his shop stocks, or marvelling at the brilliance of chicks with d*cks, he definitely shines. Brodie puts up a good fight, but RANDALL wins to tie the scores.
RANDALL 1 BRODIE 1
3: Hostility
With Dante and TS respectively, Randall and Brodie both have two long-standing best friends - but although they're usually nice around their buddies, both have a bit of a mean streak, especially with regards to strangers. Brodie attempts to start some expletive deleted when a kid gets rowdy in the comic book store line, but with the nature of Randall's job we get many more chances to see him get nasty; and boy, does he get nasty! When a young child and a mother come in to request 'Happy Scrappy Power Pup' he must first order a string of questionable videos such as 'Huge Black ***** Full of Pearly White ***'. When one innocent man asks the name of a cute cat, Randall replies with 'annoying customer'. When another says they're offended by he and Dante's conversation, he shoves an extremely explicit porno centrefold. Even when he's not being downright horrible, Randall can use his intelligence to put down others, the best example being the 'ruse' scene with the woman asking for his opinion on two separate films. Far and away, RANDALL wins the third challenge.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 1
4: Cunning
Both often come into sticky situations...in Brodie's case, quite literally, with the chocolate covered pretzel scene. But the question is, who can blag their way out? Well, let's take a look at some case studies. Randall inadvertently knocks over a casket at a friend's wake (the girl who died in the YMCA pool, also mentioned at the start of Mallrats). Does he talk his way to safety, think up an excuse, or create a hair-brained scheme? He runs, Dante in toe. When Brodie finds his friend in need of help, he hires Jay and Silent Bob to wreck the stage. He manages to get his way into the dating game, again with the help of the two loveable stoners, and in between he gets one over on Mr Svenning with a magic handshake. Really, Randall seems to be able to talk his way into situations such as closing the Quick-Stop to play hockey, but when it comes to getting out of them, for example selling cigarettes to a minor, he falls way short of BRODIE's experience and flair.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 2
5: Interaction With Other Characters
Where many one-dimensional characters are exposed is when they are faced with other, not so familiar faces. Brodie is obviously close buddies with Jay and Silent Bob, and seems to knopw everyone at the mall, from Trish the Dish to Gwen. He even manages to get close to the topless fortune teller, and that was after knowing her for ten minutes max. Unfortunately, Randall's dialogue with people that aren't Dante is sparse to say the least. Occasional customers that meet him no doubt offer hilarious moments, but put him next to either of his best friend's female companions and he seems shallow compared to the opposition. Sure, he's great for the most part, but Brodie really does seem to have a thriving social life in comparison to Randall's relative reclusiveness. So, BRODIE goes into the lead once more.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 3
6: Depth
Not character depth as in the point before, but more depth of thoughts. Of course, Kevin Smith always has very clever characters talking about very silly things, which is why the 'd*ck and fart jokes with long words in them' is so popular. Randall and Brodie are shining examples, both being deep thinkers, applying everyday situations to great philosophical debates. The aforementioned Death Star tirade exhibits Randall's awareness of the importance of good being good and not evil, and Brodie takes comic book characters and thinks of what the real life implications of the powers would be (like appendages that can stretch like elastic, or are made of rock). Admittedly, Brodie's thoughts seem dominated by sex but that makes him all the more identifiable...however, Randall is clearly a deeper thinker. His talk with Dante at the end of the film about his station in life shows why many people hold him to be some sort of Christ figure, in adidas trainers and faded jeans. So RANDALL equalises.
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 3
7: Overall Charm
It's the big one. The tiebreaker. Which character is more likeable? Is it Randall, the acidic young man with razor sharp wit? Or maybe it's Brodie, the self deprecating yet infectiously funny geek? Well, Randall definitely has a big appeal. He just seems so cool, the person we all want to be like. Whereas Brodie is just a really cool guy; quirky (his girlfriend gave him a stripshow to the Mighty Mouse theme), warped (his tales of family life confirm that anything other than severe psychological damage is out of the question) and always hilarious. He's got the friends, he's got the girl, he's got the audacity but the personality to match. Randall seems like he'd be a Fonz for the Nirvana generation, but Brodie seems more like the best friend that everyone else wants for a best friend. Fun to be around, or fun to just watch. It's close, but I think BRODIE edges it for the final round.
FINAL SCORE:
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 4
It was always going to be close, and the result may reflect Smith's preferance (Jason Lee, who played Brodie, has been in all Smith films since Mallrats in various guises, whereas Randall has a few short scenes in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and a cameo in Dogma. That's it. Personally, I prefer Randall. He just oozes with brilliance, and he's my favourite film character ever. The reason he gets all the best lines may be because Smith originally intended to play the character himself, but that still shouldn't take anything away from Randall. Still, Brodie matches him almost every step of the way, and he has his share of fans.
If you had no idea what this post was about, go rent 'Clerks' and 'Mallrats', then 'Chasing Amy', 'Dogma' and 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'. If you've done this already...well, reply with your thoughts on the thread.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Well, I guess it had to come sooner or later. The ViewAskewniverse has spawned many a memorable character but the disciples of Kevin Smith have long been split in two halves, ever since Mallrats was released: who is better, Randall or Brodie? Both are funny and clever, always stealing the show...but which one is better? There's only one way to find out: a lengthy examination!
*groans, one cheer and then even more groans*
1: The Background
The astute Smithomaniacs out there may have noticed that Randall and Brodie both mention a cousin Walter, hinting at the fact they could be related...and really, you can believe it with their many similarities. A great quote from Clerks involves Randall speaking about a relative's untimely demise, breaking their neck whilst trying to give themselves a blow job. Brodie also tells two stories in Mallrats, one being the oft-told 'cat up the ass' tale and the other being the fascinating 'mile-high masturbation' yarn. So, they can both drop in with anecdotes relating to relations, but which character has the most background depth? Well, unfortunately we learn precious little of Randall, whereas Brodie tells us so very much more than we needed to know. For example, his grandma became a lesbian on her sixtieth birthday. Going on the strength of 'that car conversation' Randall has a lot to share with us...but frustratingly, he keeps schtum. So, going on sheer volume, BRODIE wins this round with his various family phrases and tall tales.
RANDALL 0 BRODIE 1
2: Idle Chatter
OK, so we've got the party pieces out of the way...how do our two characters fare in every-day small talk situations? They're both strong contenders as every Smith character worth his or her salt needs to be able to make the banal brilliant. Mallrats is full of shopping trip filler, such as debates over whether cookie stands outside of the designatedarea still count as part of the food court, due to their cookie selling nature. However, Clerks is even more rhubarb driven, with lengthy conversations on the subject of independent contractors working on the Death Star, and if their deaths were directly caused by the Jedi Order. In fact, Clerks is almost all talk and the plot barely ever encroaches on Randall's nuggets of brilliance. Be it complaining about the bad quality of films his shop stocks, or marvelling at the brilliance of chicks with d*cks, he definitely shines. Brodie puts up a good fight, but RANDALL wins to tie the scores.
RANDALL 1 BRODIE 1
3: Hostility
With Dante and TS respectively, Randall and Brodie both have two long-standing best friends - but although they're usually nice around their buddies, both have a bit of a mean streak, especially with regards to strangers. Brodie attempts to start some expletive deleted when a kid gets rowdy in the comic book store line, but with the nature of Randall's job we get many more chances to see him get nasty; and boy, does he get nasty! When a young child and a mother come in to request 'Happy Scrappy Power Pup' he must first order a string of questionable videos such as 'Huge Black ***** Full of Pearly White ***'. When one innocent man asks the name of a cute cat, Randall replies with 'annoying customer'. When another says they're offended by he and Dante's conversation, he shoves an extremely explicit porno centrefold. Even when he's not being downright horrible, Randall can use his intelligence to put down others, the best example being the 'ruse' scene with the woman asking for his opinion on two separate films. Far and away, RANDALL wins the third challenge.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 1
4: Cunning
Both often come into sticky situations...in Brodie's case, quite literally, with the chocolate covered pretzel scene. But the question is, who can blag their way out? Well, let's take a look at some case studies. Randall inadvertently knocks over a casket at a friend's wake (the girl who died in the YMCA pool, also mentioned at the start of Mallrats). Does he talk his way to safety, think up an excuse, or create a hair-brained scheme? He runs, Dante in toe. When Brodie finds his friend in need of help, he hires Jay and Silent Bob to wreck the stage. He manages to get his way into the dating game, again with the help of the two loveable stoners, and in between he gets one over on Mr Svenning with a magic handshake. Really, Randall seems to be able to talk his way into situations such as closing the Quick-Stop to play hockey, but when it comes to getting out of them, for example selling cigarettes to a minor, he falls way short of BRODIE's experience and flair.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 2
5: Interaction With Other Characters
Where many one-dimensional characters are exposed is when they are faced with other, not so familiar faces. Brodie is obviously close buddies with Jay and Silent Bob, and seems to knopw everyone at the mall, from Trish the Dish to Gwen. He even manages to get close to the topless fortune teller, and that was after knowing her for ten minutes max. Unfortunately, Randall's dialogue with people that aren't Dante is sparse to say the least. Occasional customers that meet him no doubt offer hilarious moments, but put him next to either of his best friend's female companions and he seems shallow compared to the opposition. Sure, he's great for the most part, but Brodie really does seem to have a thriving social life in comparison to Randall's relative reclusiveness. So, BRODIE goes into the lead once more.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 3
6: Depth
Not character depth as in the point before, but more depth of thoughts. Of course, Kevin Smith always has very clever characters talking about very silly things, which is why the 'd*ck and fart jokes with long words in them' is so popular. Randall and Brodie are shining examples, both being deep thinkers, applying everyday situations to great philosophical debates. The aforementioned Death Star tirade exhibits Randall's awareness of the importance of good being good and not evil, and Brodie takes comic book characters and thinks of what the real life implications of the powers would be (like appendages that can stretch like elastic, or are made of rock). Admittedly, Brodie's thoughts seem dominated by sex but that makes him all the more identifiable...however, Randall is clearly a deeper thinker. His talk with Dante at the end of the film about his station in life shows why many people hold him to be some sort of Christ figure, in adidas trainers and faded jeans. So RANDALL equalises.
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 3
7: Overall Charm
It's the big one. The tiebreaker. Which character is more likeable? Is it Randall, the acidic young man with razor sharp wit? Or maybe it's Brodie, the self deprecating yet infectiously funny geek? Well, Randall definitely has a big appeal. He just seems so cool, the person we all want to be like. Whereas Brodie is just a really cool guy; quirky (his girlfriend gave him a stripshow to the Mighty Mouse theme), warped (his tales of family life confirm that anything other than severe psychological damage is out of the question) and always hilarious. He's got the friends, he's got the girl, he's got the audacity but the personality to match. Randall seems like he'd be a Fonz for the Nirvana generation, but Brodie seems more like the best friend that everyone else wants for a best friend. Fun to be around, or fun to just watch. It's close, but I think BRODIE edges it for the final round.
FINAL SCORE:
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 4
It was always going to be close, and the result may reflect Smith's preferance (Jason Lee, who played Brodie, has been in all Smith films since Mallrats in various guises, whereas Randall has a few short scenes in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and a cameo in Dogma. That's it. Personally, I prefer Randall. He just oozes with brilliance, and he's my favourite film character ever. The reason he gets all the best lines may be because Smith originally intended to play the character himself, but that still shouldn't take anything away from Randall. Still, Brodie matches him almost every step of the way, and he has his share of fans.
If you had no idea what this post was about, go rent 'Clerks' and 'Mallrats', then 'Chasing Amy', 'Dogma' and 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'. If you've done this already...well, reply with your thoughts on the thread.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey
*groans, one cheer and then even more groans*
1: The Background
The astute Smithomaniacs out there may have noticed that Randall and Brodie both mention a cousin Walter, hinting at the fact they could be related...and really, you can believe it with their many similarities. A great quote from Clerks involves Randall speaking about a relative's untimely demise, breaking their neck whilst trying to give themselves a blow job. Brodie also tells two stories in Mallrats, one being the oft-told 'cat up the ass' tale and the other being the fascinating 'mile-high masturbation' yarn. So, they can both drop in with anecdotes relating to relations, but which character has the most background depth? Well, unfortunately we learn precious little of Randall, whereas Brodie tells us so very much more than we needed to know. For example, his grandma became a lesbian on her sixtieth birthday. Going on the strength of 'that car conversation' Randall has a lot to share with us...but frustratingly, he keeps schtum. So, going on sheer volume, BRODIE wins this round with his various family phrases and tall tales.
RANDALL 0 BRODIE 1
2: Idle Chatter
OK, so we've got the party pieces out of the way...how do our two characters fare in every-day small talk situations? They're both strong contenders as every Smith character worth his or her salt needs to be able to make the banal brilliant. Mallrats is full of shopping trip filler, such as debates over whether cookie stands outside of the designatedarea still count as part of the food court, due to their cookie selling nature. However, Clerks is even more rhubarb driven, with lengthy conversations on the subject of independent contractors working on the Death Star, and if their deaths were directly caused by the Jedi Order. In fact, Clerks is almost all talk and the plot barely ever encroaches on Randall's nuggets of brilliance. Be it complaining about the bad quality of films his shop stocks, or marvelling at the brilliance of chicks with d*cks, he definitely shines. Brodie puts up a good fight, but RANDALL wins to tie the scores.
RANDALL 1 BRODIE 1
3: Hostility
With Dante and TS respectively, Randall and Brodie both have two long-standing best friends - but although they're usually nice around their buddies, both have a bit of a mean streak, especially with regards to strangers. Brodie attempts to start some expletive deleted when a kid gets rowdy in the comic book store line, but with the nature of Randall's job we get many more chances to see him get nasty; and boy, does he get nasty! When a young child and a mother come in to request 'Happy Scrappy Power Pup' he must first order a string of questionable videos such as 'Huge Black ***** Full of Pearly White ***'. When one innocent man asks the name of a cute cat, Randall replies with 'annoying customer'. When another says they're offended by he and Dante's conversation, he shoves an extremely explicit porno centrefold. Even when he's not being downright horrible, Randall can use his intelligence to put down others, the best example being the 'ruse' scene with the woman asking for his opinion on two separate films. Far and away, RANDALL wins the third challenge.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 1
4: Cunning
Both often come into sticky situations...in Brodie's case, quite literally, with the chocolate covered pretzel scene. But the question is, who can blag their way out? Well, let's take a look at some case studies. Randall inadvertently knocks over a casket at a friend's wake (the girl who died in the YMCA pool, also mentioned at the start of Mallrats). Does he talk his way to safety, think up an excuse, or create a hair-brained scheme? He runs, Dante in toe. When Brodie finds his friend in need of help, he hires Jay and Silent Bob to wreck the stage. He manages to get his way into the dating game, again with the help of the two loveable stoners, and in between he gets one over on Mr Svenning with a magic handshake. Really, Randall seems to be able to talk his way into situations such as closing the Quick-Stop to play hockey, but when it comes to getting out of them, for example selling cigarettes to a minor, he falls way short of BRODIE's experience and flair.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 2
5: Interaction With Other Characters
Where many one-dimensional characters are exposed is when they are faced with other, not so familiar faces. Brodie is obviously close buddies with Jay and Silent Bob, and seems to knopw everyone at the mall, from Trish the Dish to Gwen. He even manages to get close to the topless fortune teller, and that was after knowing her for ten minutes max. Unfortunately, Randall's dialogue with people that aren't Dante is sparse to say the least. Occasional customers that meet him no doubt offer hilarious moments, but put him next to either of his best friend's female companions and he seems shallow compared to the opposition. Sure, he's great for the most part, but Brodie really does seem to have a thriving social life in comparison to Randall's relative reclusiveness. So, BRODIE goes into the lead once more.
RANDALL 2 BRODIE 3
6: Depth
Not character depth as in the point before, but more depth of thoughts. Of course, Kevin Smith always has very clever characters talking about very silly things, which is why the 'd*ck and fart jokes with long words in them' is so popular. Randall and Brodie are shining examples, both being deep thinkers, applying everyday situations to great philosophical debates. The aforementioned Death Star tirade exhibits Randall's awareness of the importance of good being good and not evil, and Brodie takes comic book characters and thinks of what the real life implications of the powers would be (like appendages that can stretch like elastic, or are made of rock). Admittedly, Brodie's thoughts seem dominated by sex but that makes him all the more identifiable...however, Randall is clearly a deeper thinker. His talk with Dante at the end of the film about his station in life shows why many people hold him to be some sort of Christ figure, in adidas trainers and faded jeans. So RANDALL equalises.
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 3
7: Overall Charm
It's the big one. The tiebreaker. Which character is more likeable? Is it Randall, the acidic young man with razor sharp wit? Or maybe it's Brodie, the self deprecating yet infectiously funny geek? Well, Randall definitely has a big appeal. He just seems so cool, the person we all want to be like. Whereas Brodie is just a really cool guy; quirky (his girlfriend gave him a stripshow to the Mighty Mouse theme), warped (his tales of family life confirm that anything other than severe psychological damage is out of the question) and always hilarious. He's got the friends, he's got the girl, he's got the audacity but the personality to match. Randall seems like he'd be a Fonz for the Nirvana generation, but Brodie seems more like the best friend that everyone else wants for a best friend. Fun to be around, or fun to just watch. It's close, but I think BRODIE edges it for the final round.
FINAL SCORE:
RANDALL 3 BRODIE 4
It was always going to be close, and the result may reflect Smith's preferance (Jason Lee, who played Brodie, has been in all Smith films since Mallrats in various guises, whereas Randall has a few short scenes in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and a cameo in Dogma. That's it. Personally, I prefer Randall. He just oozes with brilliance, and he's my favourite film character ever. The reason he gets all the best lines may be because Smith originally intended to play the character himself, but that still shouldn't take anything away from Randall. Still, Brodie matches him almost every step of the way, and he has his share of fans.
If you had no idea what this post was about, go rent 'Clerks' and 'Mallrats', then 'Chasing Amy', 'Dogma' and 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'. If you've done this already...well, reply with your thoughts on the thread.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey