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MetaCritic Score: 56

I never planned on seeing Zack and Miri Make a Porno. After really enjoying most of Seth Rogen’s recent work (only to grow exceptionally tired of it after my friends played it to death on DVD), I felt like I needed a break. From the previews, Zack and Miri looked like the perfect opportunity to do that. The plot looked predictable, the raunchy humor looked like it was just added for shock value, and I’ve never been a fan of Jason Mewes (Jay from Jay & Silent Bob). A couple weeks ago, however, I was listening to the excellent Filmspotting podcast, and they gave it a really glowing review. Trusting their opinion, I decided to give the film a shot.

For those of you who haven’t seen the previews, Zack and Miri are roommates who have been platonic friends since elementary school. Their low-paying jobs and poor spending habits have put them into dire financial straights. Things come to a head when their water and electricity get turned off in rapid succession. After going to the bar to drink away their pain, Zack comes up with the brilliant suggestion to, you guessed it, make a porno. They figure that they can sell it to all the people on the alumni e-mail list from their high school reunion because, come on, who doesn’t want to see two people they went to high school with have sex on camera? From there, a series of largely obviously plot twists occur, throwing wrench after wrench into Zack and Miri’s master plan.

The interesting thing about all of this is that I still liked the movie. The plot may be pretty bad, but by and large, the performances more than make up for it. Rogen is Rogen–and is pretty funny as usual, but it’s the side characters which made Zack and Miri worth my money.

Justin Long has only a brief cameo as a gay porn star who shows up at Zack and Miri’s high school reunion as someone’s unlikely date, but he completely steals the scene, getting the movie’s biggest laughs. Craig Robinson, who really should start getting bigger roles on a more regular basis any day now, is funny as ever as Rogen’s coffee shop co-worker and the porno’s “executive producer.” Even Jason Mewes comes through with some thoroughly brilliant moments (I fully expect the “Dutch rudder” to become as popular as the term “superman” did after Soulja Boy made it famous).

Even though I liked it, I’m sure you’ve gathered by now that Zack and Miri isn’t for everyone. The profanity is way over the top (like most Kevin Smith movies), the nudity is frequent and explicit, and it contains quite possibly the most disgusting moment I’ve ever seen in a mainstream comedy. The fact that the plot contains an almost overwhelmingly sensitive love story doesn’t change the reality that almost anyone over the age of 30 is going to find this too offensive to watch.

I always make a recommendation, but by this point you probably already know whether or not Zack and Miri is something you want to see. If you’re a fan of Kevin Smith’s other work or Judd Apatow’s regular stable of actors, you know this is right up your alley. If you find those sorts of films too low-brow for your taste, then it’s pretty obvious that this one isn’t going to be any different. So, use your best judgement, but if you do decide to see Zack and Miri, be comforted by the fact that even if you don’t really like it, you’ll at least be up to date on all the new catch phrases you’re likely to start hearing drunk people quote all around town.

edit: Make sure you stick around all the way through the credits so you don’t miss a special extra scene.

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