The most offensive aspect of Zack and Miri is not the language or the subject matter, but the agonizing predictability of the story.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:176
Fresh:114
Rotten:62
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Zack and Miri Make a Porno is a modest success for Kevin Smith, due in large part to the charm of Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Feb 19, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $31,382,624
Synopsis: As its explicit title suggests, Kevin Smith's ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is a foul-mouthed and filthy film that probably isn't fit for the very young, the very old, or the easily offended. But for... As its explicit title suggests, Kevin Smith's ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO is a foul-mouthed and filthy film that probably isn't fit for the very young, the very old, or the easily offended. But for those who enjoy Smith's brand of humor, this raunchy but romantic comedy could be the perfect date movie (though perhaps not for a first date). With mountains of past-due bills piling up, Zack (Seth Rogen, KNOCKED UP) and his roommate/childhood friend Miri (Elizabeth Banks, SCRUBS) aren't sure how they're going to stay in their Pittsburgh apartment. But a chance encounter at their 10-year reunion gives them the idea to make a porn movie. When it comes time for the friends to do the deed, they realize that perhaps they're more than just friends. With all the talk of sexual positions and bodily functions, it'd be easy to say that Smith is hopping on the Judd Apatow bandwagon that has dominated the box office in the latter half of the aughts with KNOCKED UP and THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, and ZACK AND MIRI even features a few Apatow alumni. But Smith perfected this schtick down back in the '90s with CLERKS, when some of Apatow's fans were still in diapers. ZACK AND MIRI is most reminscent of Smith's own CHASING AMY; there are plenty of gag- or giggle-inducing moments, but Smith's script is also surprisingly sweet. Rogen and Banks make a perfect couple, and the always hilarious Rogen could be Smith's new Ben Affleck or Jason Lee. [More]
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Traci Lords, Jason Mewes
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Traci Lords, Jason Mewes, Ricky Mabe, Craig Robinson, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson
Director: Kevin Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Screenwriter: Kevin Smith
Producer: Scott Mosier
Composer: James Venable
Studio: Weinstein Company
Reviews for Zack and Miri Make a Porno
It's a companionable enough experience, even though the title should really be "Zack Makes a Porno (with Miri)."
Is there a more honest title for a film than "Zack and Miri Make a Porno"?
It's not as groundbreaking or as true as 1997's Chasing Amy, but nails much of the same spirit.
Miri isn't as bad as Alyssa the Light Switch Lesbian from "Chasing Amy," but the premise [...] is almost as insultingly unrealistic.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno works best when it's unrestrained from capital-S storytelling and obligated only to cracking jokes, chronicling mundane experiences and making a few modest observations about human nature.
Kevin Smith tries to redeem a filthy frolic with a late blooming love story
The real reason to see the film though? Craig Robinson as Delaney. He's good in 'The Office,' he's great here.
A passably conventional rom-com squishfest decked out with Smith's usual pop-culture references.
If movies were fireworks, Smith's latest effort would be a fuse-moistened bottle rocket that only manages subdued flight.
It's that When Harry Met Sally thing. Can guys and girls be friends without having sex?
A big enough chunk of the demographic will eat it up--to make this a winning investment for the real producers. You can take that to the bank.
It's one thing for a movie to be dirty; it's another thing altogether for it to be plain sloppy.
Kevin Smith turns out to be reverent after all: he wants to separate true love from mere copulating for money, but his story mixes romance and porn so inextricably that he seems confused, and the movie trips over its own conceits.
A sweet-yet-smutty concoction that would feel right at home in the Judd Apatow sub-section of the video store. I mean that as a compliment.
[Kevin] Smith has officially reclaimed the title as the reigning king of romantic raunch.
The movie has all of the ingredients to be a great comedy, but Smith seems to be stuck and can't break free of his amateurish style.
Latest News for Zack and Miri Make a Porno
February 08, 2009:
Two porn stars and true romance on their, well, first date on camera, and a stud geek worried about man boobs. Kevin and Seth make a porno that may be too hardcore for the sexually squeamish and too mushy for porniacs. ![]()
More...
February 02, 2009:
RT on DVD: Friday the 13th Redux, Zack & Miri, Nick & Norah
Prepare to relive the rise (and death, and rise and death) of Jason Voorhees as the first three Friday the 13th flicks are re-released this week (Part 3 even comes with 3D... More...
January 31, 2009:
Two porn stars and true romance on their, well, first date on camera, and a stud geek worried about man boobs. Kevin and Seth make a porno that may be too hardcore for the sexually squeamish and too mushy for porniacs. ![]()
More...
November 14, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Is Zack And Miri Make A Porno On The Money (Shot)? Is Max Payne Maxing Or Taxing?
This week in the UK cinema screens we have Kevin Smith's latest, the intuitively titled Zack And Miri Make A Porno. Marky Mark Wahlberg stars in the video game adaptation Max... More...
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