Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) starring Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Katie Morgan, Traci Lords, Brandon Routh, Justin Long directed by Kevin Smith Movie Review

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Seth Rogen as Zack in Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

There's Something About Miri

Picture the scene, a couple of friends head to a basement den for a night of drinking and smoking and they end up talking about movies and having fun imagining them as porn movies. That is how I imagine how "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" started, Kevin Smith taking such a night and deciding to turn those ideas into a movie and then coming up with a plot to fit around it. It may not have been the case but that is definitely the feel of "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" a movie full of swearing and sexual innuendo wrapped up with the classic romantic tale of flat mates discovering they love each other when they decide to make a porno together. There is no denying that "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" is funny especially with all the sex puns surrounding iconic movies and characters but it is a movie which takes time to get going, forcing the funny till the main part of the story kicks in which from then on is hilarious.

Zack (Seth Rogen - Knocked Up) and Miri (Elizabeth Banks - Meet Dave) may not be a couple but they live together, best friends from high School and both financially desperate. When the electricity and water to their apartment is cut off things become desperate but following a chance encounter with a gay porn star at a high school reunion they come up with a plan, make their own porno and sort out all their financial problems. But having got a cast and crew together and over come various issues they have one problem they have to face as they begin to realise that their feelings for each other are deeper than each wants to admit.

Elizabeth Banks as Miri in Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

Trust me if you are easily offended you should not even think about watching "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" because it is full of swearing and sexual innuendo especially during the first 30 minutes. And it is the first 30 minutes where for me "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" doesn't really work because whilst establishing the characters of Zack and Miri and their money problems it is all very forced. I'm not offended by swearing or sexual innuendo but the way it is thrown together during this opening is so forced that it never once becomes funny, it is a case of trying too hard.

The good news is that once we get to the point where we have Zack and Miri agreeing to make the porno it picks up and becomes simply hilarious. There are the various movie titles they come up with as they turn well known movies such as "Star Wars" into pornos with "Star Whores" and there are the various interviews where they look for a small group of people to star. The issue with being forced seems to disappear as all the swearing and sexual innuendo now has a purpose rather than just being profanity for the sake of it.

Now alongside the making of the porno which is frankly hilarious with corny dialogue, terrible camera work and everything else you would expect we do also have the romantic storyline of Zack and Miri. It's that classic of when two friends have sex things become awkward especially when Zack and Miri discover they have deeper feelings for each other. But it is enough of a vehicle to give the comedy of the porno making a purpose and for what is a balls out comedy quite tender.

Talking of balls out well there is as you would expect nudity with some being comically surprising which is more to do with the casting. Now I like Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks who play Zack and Miri and both do a good job but this isn't them at their best. The same with everyone else although I had to smile when I realised they had got Traci Lords to appear as a character called Bubbles with a rather special talent.

What this all boils down to is that "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" is a stupid but fun movie which is you enjoyed the sex comedies of Judd Apatow you will love this. But whilst when it gets going it is good the first 30 minutes are uncomfortable purely because it feels so forced and trying to hard to be funny.


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