Desperate to raise enough money to pay their mounting bills and rent, two platonic flatmates decide to film and star in a homemade pornographic movie, but things get complicated when they realise that they might really love each other in this lively Kevin Smith comedy. As usual, Smith litters the film with entertaining supporting characters, with Jason Mewes particularly interesting, repressing his Jay mannerisms to play an uninhibited amateur porn actor, and Justin Long as a gay professional in the business has rarely been funnier. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks also make for likable leads, however, the overall film comes off as a notch below Smith's par. Predictability is a key issue here as it is telegraphed from very early on that the protagonists will realise that they love each other and get jealous on set. More detrimental though is the way Smith allows sentimentality to overtake his penchant for quirky humour. Sentiment is not uncommon in Smith films; 'Mallrats' and 'Chasing Amy' (arguably his best movies) have sentiment in spades, but in both cases, it is squeezed in and around the kooky supporting characters and raunchy jokes. Here, the plot seems to halt whenever Rogen and Banks reassess their feelings for one another. Never to mind, 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno' has far more highs than lows. The makeshift movie studios, non-professional costumes and boom mike incidents are funny, the 'Star Wars' referencing is a lot of fun and the zany extras in the middle of the end credits ensure the film ends on a strong note.

Kevin Smith's first film not to take place in his beloved New Jersey, this is an extremely funny and sometimes touching film. As with the lacklustre "Jersey Girl", it is not set in the View Askewniverse and, as such, Jay and Silent Bob are conspicuously absent. However, with its colourful characters and very raunchy dialogue, it could have very easily fit into that universe. Smith has always had a flair for hilarious dialogue and that is certainly on display here. His direction is not on the same level as it was in "Clerks II", his best directed (if not his best written) film. However, it is still very good, particularly during the filming of the porno. As regards the porno scenes themselves, they are unsurprisingly among the funniest scenes in the film. The shades of bondage were a little weird but, after the "interspecies erotica" involving the donkey in "Clerks II", they seemed mild comparatively speaking! The film stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as Zack Brown and Miri Linky, a pair of 28-year-old best friends of 20 years' standing who share a charming little hovel of an apartment in Monroeville, Pittsburgh. They both have stable employment but they are chronically short of cash to the extent that they have not paid their electricity and water bills in months. Both of these essential services are turned off on the day before Thanksgiving. So much for the milk of human kindness. At their high school reunion, they learn that the boyfriend of Miri's former crush (whom she hoped to seduce through the power of her alcohol-fueled chitchat, among other things) is a gay porn star. In order to solve their dire financial straits, and having realised the title of the film, they decide to make a pornographic film, as you do. As they embark upon this noble enterprise, the fact that a video of Miri wearing granny panties went viral is as encouraging to Zack as is humiliating to her. They intended to make a titillating sci-fi masterpiece entitled "Star Whores" spoofing a particular film franchise of which Smith is very fond. However, when the building containing their makeshift film studio is unexpectedly demolished and their equipment destroyed, they are forced to improvise and shoot a coffee shop themed porno in Zack's workplace after hours.I have never really been a big fan of Seth Rogen or the Judd Apatow genre that made his name but he is very good here. Elizabeth Banks is an excellent actress and gives the best performance in the film as Miri, a sweet, kind, genuine young woman who is looking for happiness. In spite of their agreement that they will not allow the fact that they are going to have sex with each other to change things between them, their initially very awkward sex scene is far more than merely a show for the camera and they realise that they are in love. Perhaps they have been years but neither of them consciously realised it. Admittedly, it is not an entirely original or unexpected development as, firstly, Zack and Miri are clearly made for each other from the first scene and, secondly, I have seen films other than this one. However, the most important thing when it comes to such material is that it is handled well and that is certainly the case here. Smith has a knack for writing heartfelt speeches and Zack's profession of his love for Miri is a surprisingly touching one, something which is helped by the fact that Rogen and Banks have great chemistry.Making his first appearance in one of Smith's films playing a character other than Jay, Jason Mewes is very funny as the admittedly highly similar character Lester, a borderline - or maybe not quite so borderline - sex pest and a very enthusiastic participant in the porno film. He is known as Lester the Molester and that is before he finds out that he can choose his own porn name! However, Lester is not quite as funny as Jay as, on this occasion, he does not have get the lion's share of the best lines. Aside from a brief cameo by Smith's wife Jennifer Schwalbach, the only other View Askewniverse alumnus to appear in the film is Jeff Anderson, who is likewise very funny as the cameraman Deacon. Much of the film's funniest material goes to Craig Robinson as Zack's other best friend, co-worker and the porno's producer Delaney. One of his best moments is when he objects to being asked to work on Black Friday as he believes that its name is highly offensive to him as a black man. He then proceeds to ask his employer if he thinks that he owns him. The film also has great cameos from Brandon Routh as Miri's old crush Bobby Long (who is still in the closet), Justin Long as his out and proud gay porn star boyfriend Brandon St. Randy, Gerry Bednob as Zack and Delaney's boss Mr. Surya and Tisha Campbell-Martin as Delaney's frightening wife. I swear that I did not make any of those actors' names up! Overall, this is a terrifically funny film with some tender moments and well-observed commentary on society, all of which I have come to expect from Kevin Smith's very sharp writing.

Director Kevin Smith makes a slacker buddy porn comedy in Zack and Miri make a Porno. Zack and Miri are good friends living in a run down flat and not having enough money to pay the rent and bills and decide to make a porn film to roll in the cash, an idea they got after they met a former school friend at a High School reunion who revealed he was a gay porn star.Smith makes the film rude and crude but deep inside is a sweet love story as Zack and Miri find out that they have a romantic tingling for each other which is more than just sex for the camera.The film is amusing enough helped by the good chemistry between Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen although the film is prudish showing nude scenes with Banks. Craig Robinson provides amusing support. There are enough pop culture references and Smith regulars popping up to keep his fans happy.

The whole Kev Smith gang's here and that is probably the best part of the film. The story itself is simple and very predictable. Zack & Miri are lifelong friends since high-school, but never amounted to anything so they need money and the quickest way is to make a porn film. Don't expect (much) nudity, it's still an R rated Hollywood production, not an NC-17 'real' porn movie. Rogen acts like he always acts (he's no Pacino), Banks is a lot better but she can only work with what's written. All in all a mediocre film. Kevin Smith seems to be a director who's career goes in reverse: his first film Clercks was his masterpiece and every new film he's made since has been worse than the previous one. That sure gives you some perspective for his new film Tusk. Let's hope Smith can turn the tide...