Having moved from their 20s to their 30s, it's nice to see that the two main characters in "Clerks II" have matured and not matured at all, simultaneously. It's a delicate balance.

Little else about "Clerks II" is delicate, and that's the point. The 1994 film "Clerks" became one of those rare cult classics that defined not only the so-called Generation X of the era, but continues to delight newbies, viewers surprised that a black-and-white film about a couple of convenience store clerks could pack such resonance and anti-pop culture cleverness.

"Clerks II," a risky proposition, carries on. It may not enjoy the immediacy and shock value of the first, but keeps things fresh and offbeat. By now, clerks Dante (Brian O'Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) have moved onward and upward, at least spatially. The New Jersey convenience store closed, the pals now operate a fast-food joint called Mooby's.

They spend their days preparing the assorted high-fat delicacies their customers crave, also embarking on the spirited discussion and debates they love so much, everything from the real meaning of love to raucous arguments on the superiority of the "Star Wars" vs. "The Lord of the Rings" trilogies. Customers join in, and nasty remarks fester.

Because they are now in their 30s, Dante and Randal also make stabs at maturity. Dante is engaged to the well-off Emma (Jennifer Schwalback), but he may be better suited for the restaurant's manager, Becky (Rosario Dawson), with whom he shares both true friendship and memories of a recent secret tryst.

It's apparent that Dante is growing up faster than Randal, however fitfully, so issues about friends drifting apart are also explored. Outside the store, mainstays Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob -- played by Kevin Smith, the writer-director of both films -- continue their often bizarre and frequently entertaining antics.

"Clerks II" can hardly be called a comic masterpiece, because the goal is something close to B-level, anti-hipster cool. Too sleek, and this thing wouldn't fly. Instead, "Clerks II," the black-and-white replaced by colors that barely register, retains its naughty, amateurish glow, and the legend continues.