A review - Zack and Miri make a porno

A new Kevin Smith film? Holy shit. Wait, when was his last film? 2006 - only two years ago! You know, Clerks 2? Oh, yeah! Um, well, moving on... So, a new film from Silent Bob? Cool! Starring? Funny man of the moment and Apatow muse (sorry, Steve), Seth Rogen. HOLY SHIT. You can't go wrong with Smith and Rogen teaming up, can you? Actually, yes you can...

The film, which is about two friends who are so hard-up that they decide making a porno would be a good way to get out of their mountainous debt, is Smith's latest venture in comedy. I know, right, when doesn't the guy make a comedy? He's actually pretty damn good at it, but lately... Not so much. So, we have these two best friends, Zack, as played by the wonderful Seth Rogen, and Miri, as played by the wonderfully beautiful Elizabeth Banks (who can be seen in another funny (funnier) film - The 40 Year Old Virgin, on DVD. Go for it). The dynamics between these two don't quite work, if only because it's pretty damn implausible. As any good film, there should be a hint of realism to the implausibility - i.e. Jason Statham being an action hero in the year 2008 - but it just doesn't work here. I can't see Rogen and Banks living together, impoverished, when in all likelyhood, Banks would have succeeded if only because her looks would have carried her. Rogen on the other hand... I buy him as a loser. He's played the role, to much better effect, in several other films. That I'm to believe that these two are not only best friends, but have a chemistry, that only Kevin Smith could write, well, the shit hits the fan and I'm less inclined to give a damn about anything that comes after the intitial porno making.

About that. Zack and Miri initially decide on a Star Wars-themed porno. Watching them talk about the ideas and the script Zack's written for the film (the name of which you can guess, see in a trailer, or just find out when you go see the film) makes me question how much of a Star Wars nerd Kevin Smith is. A big one. I also wonder what'd happen if he ever wrote a Star Wars film proper. It would probably be better than anything George Lucas can come up with.*

Those scenes, for me, are among the best the film has to offer. The film drags in places, and it's not nearly as good as it could have been - especially since Rosario Dawson was originally meant to play Miri (that would have been fucking perfect. And believeable). But you will praise the inclusion of Craig Robinson (another 'guy of the moment' - I won't say the kind of guy, but it's so obvious as to negate any un-PC comments I might make) who is pretty damn funny in this flick, as a co-worker of Rogen's and eventual producer on the porno. Speaking of working together, Robinson and Rogen work together at a "Bean-N-Gone" an obvious parody of a Starbucks or any other obnoxious coffee chain (watch the second episode of the first series of The Sopranos for a better, hilarious play on that). It'll remind you of Clerks, and make you wonder why Smith can't do a similar film, using these guys.
Their boss, Mr. Surya, is fucking hilarious. He plays a typical Indian accented Indian boss. But damn if he isn't awesome in his short, short time on screen. If the film had been an update of Clerks (not a terrible sequel, like Clerks 2) focussing on Robinson, Rogen and their boss - well, the film probably would've been more awesome. As it is... It's OK. So OK that I'm already forgetting what happened, and I've seen it twice. Yeah, Kevin Smith has done some good work on this flick, but it's still a long way for him to go to redeem himself for, well, most of his filmography for this decade.

Wondering why I'm not talking about the porno they make? Well, because those are among some of those few good scenes I talked about. And even then, not that good. But it is better if you go see the film. Because, whilst I didn't like it, it is still a decent night's entertainment. And you will enjoy watching Jason Mewes aka Jay hamming it up as a wannabe pornstar.

Also, everyone should be supporting Seth Rogen. The man, whilst not given some great stuff in this film, is still superbly funny. See it for him, for his boss and for the very funny Justin Long, playing a gay porn actor. He's another small pocket of funny in an otherwise not bad film. Yeah, I'm not that enthusiastic for it, huh?

I'll tell you why, exactly. Because of the ending. Everything that comes before is shat on by the end of the film. I won't spoil it, but all I'm saying is - it felt like Smith was giving us the ending we felt he should've given us for Chasing Amy. Damn him.

*Smith actually wrote a Superman script that was thought pretty highly of around Hollywood. Shame Superman Returns has put paid to another Superman film for a while. Also, Smith should probably take those script writing talents and shop them around town. I'd like to see him writing more, but directing less.