I haven't done a movie review in a while, for a simple reason. It's been ages since I was in a theater. I think my last movie was "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" several months ago.
I ventured out Thursday afternoon to see "Zack and Miri Make a Porno." The title has offended some. Ads were changed to just "Zack and Miri." The woman at the box office was checking ID's to make sure no minors got in. Newsflash: I had no problem passing the age test.
As for the film itself, yes, it was raunchy, but it wasn't much worse than some of those teen "comedies." It was predictable and, at best, mildly amusing.
I'm a tough guy to please, so I take some of my cues from the people in the theater. They weren't laughing much, either.
The supporting cast got the majority of the yuks. Seth Rogen, taking a page out of Will Ferrell's book, seems to play the same character in every movie. He was adequate. Elizabeth Banks really shines. She's not just a pretty woman. She can act, and do comedy.
The movie was set in Monroeville, PA. Much of it was shot in and around Pittsburgh. I even spotted the Monroeville Mall, and a hotel I stayed in a few years ago. Yes, it doesn't take much to thrill me.
Roger Ebert gave "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" three stars. I usually trust Ebert's reviews, but I just didn't see it here. A star and a half for me. It seemed like a few little stories tacked together and some things just didn't make sense.
