Review of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) by Travis O — 03 Feb 2014

Zack and Miri Make a Porno manages to step up the crudeness for writer and director Kevin Smith, since the story itself features a fairly revealing title and from there just gets more and more revealing as it touches on the idea of independent production of pornography.

Kevin Smith directs one of his less meaningful and intelligent efforts in Zack and Miri Make a Porno, because while there are elements of the sex and love complications in the romance, it doesnâ(TM)t have much intelligence but is rather stuck under a lot of crude humour. It isnâ(TM)t set in the View Askewniverse either so it doesnâ(TM)t have as much cultural fun to it either. Its essentially just a lot of crude language with a little raunchy nudity and inconsistent jokes coming from nowhere. And while that may be funny since itâ(TM)s a lot of unexpected humour, there is no consistent rate and its not always successful, as well as losing its fun as it largely dissolves into a romantic comedy in the second half.

Many elements of Zack and Miri Make a Porno prove cliche, and the thin plot coupled with excessive crude humour but inconsistent laughs make it hit and miss for viewers. It certainly was a miss for me, because while I appreciated the crude jokes and the talented cast, I found that Zack and Miri Make a Porno had the potential or the better Kevin Smith films but not the wit or originality and that it was more of a commercialised film which again points out that sex leads to love. And in that sense, it follows the painful romantic comedy predictable path which has been done too many times. Frankly, I just lost interest in the second half because it ended up the same way Wedding Crashers did: as a decently starting comedy turned into a terrible chick flick, even with its pornographic theme.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is clearly lacking Kevin Smith's charm or the quaint element of his films from inside the View Askewniverse, and while it has a decent screenplay it just has a plot full of story elements which go nowhere and stop short until the film has completely become a chick flick. I was really disappointed with that, because chick flicks are the most generic and predictable films available so to have a Kevin Smith film with such potential turn into one of those is just depressing.

But aside from the sporadical laughs and unfortunate tonal shift, Zack and Miri Make a Porno does in fact have a good cast lineup.

Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks make a pair of appealing leads who both have a natural comedic charisma and share a relaxed and organic chemistry which is so consistently strong that it's easy to forget both figures are of the alternative gender. They share the chemistry of best friends, and when that changes the movie goes downhill. But they still do a good job.

Craig Robinson also manages to supply his own comedic support to the story and is hilarious to have around for his strength at fiercely comedic line delivery.

Jason Mewes is essentially unrecognisable since heâ(TM)s not decked out in his Jay look or in the View Askewniverse in Zack and Miri Make a Porno, but he still proves to be hilarious and not afraid to whip his penis out on screen which comes across as a comedic surprise when you don't expect it. He still has plenty of comedic energy and he instills it into Zack and Miri Make a Porno so that it's appealing enough for fans of his work to see him playing such a different character.

But despite the efforts of the cast and a couple of laughs coming from Kevin Smith's script, Zack and Miri Make a Porno dissolves into chick flick territory in the second half and loses its momentum.