Review of Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008): Dir: Kevin Smith / Cast: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Traci Lords, Jason Mewes: Comedy that addresses the amateur quality of porn flicks. Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks play roommates who resort to making a porn flick when they are threatened with a possible eviction. It is obvious that this couple will eventually surface their true feelings resulting in a conventional ending. Great idea directed with insight by Kevin Smith but it doesn't rank with his best work, which includes Chasing Amy, Clerks and Clerks 2. Rogen and Banks have great comic potential and here is a script with promising originality and rather than poke fun of the amateur quality of it all, they will do the obvious, which is tease viewers with romantic elements that were in plain sight to begin with. The ending is also a cheap payoff where certain people end up in certain places with lame explanations to clear everything up. Scene stealing supporting work by Craig Robinson who works at a coffee shop and is bullied by his wife. He has a hilarious scene where he audition actors. Traci Lords plays a porn actress with a knack for bubbles. Jason Mewes also makes a terrific stretch from his usual Jay persona to playing a porno star stripper with attitude. Expect graphic nudity but also expect to laugh at the absurdity of adult entertainment. Score: 7 / 10