Review of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) by Effie S — 12 Apr 2011

This was pretty much what I expected it to be, no more and no less. Kevin Smith has been deeply entrenched in what I like to call his "mullet years" for some time now, making movies that want to be hip and sharp-witted for his hardcore fans, but also warm-hearted and dumbed down for the larger audiences he's always missed out on.

Its not a recipe for success, or at least for thoughtful moviemaking. Most directors only stumble across something like "Chasing Amy" once in their careers, and as much as it disappoints me to realize it, Smith just isn't good enough at what he does to make that happen again.

He's bound and determined to try, though, and lukewarm feature-lengths like this one are the end result. It's better than "Clerks 2", at least, and was on a good roll in the first act before it veered off into dramaland.