DVD: "Zach and Miri Make a Porno"

There's something oddly satisfying about being a fly on the wall to down-on-their-luck, indolent and uncouth figures such as the two main characters in Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Maybe it's the catharsis of seeing someone else's dreams having not come true, seeing their witty retorts to inevitable judgments of peers, and the all-around downward spiral that you know will eventually lead to salvation (or at least vindication).

In this way, Zack and Miri (played by Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks) are totally believable and highly hilarious, evidenced by the near-flawless high school reunion scene, with a great cameo by Justin Long.

After this point, though, and before the speed picks up before the end, is where I could see Zack and Miri losing some people...though not me. You have to like the particularly lewd but witty comedy of Kevin Smith in order to fully appreciate the more subtle laughs of the film's middle, which relies upon lots of pop-culture references and '80s kids winks and nods that are priceless...if you like that kind of thing. Frankly, though, you shouldn't even bother renting Zack and Miri if you don't.

That said, there is some serious skills being laid down by Banks, who is so completely believable and passionate as Miri. While Jason Mewes was awesome as always, it was Banks who stole the show.

When I first saw Knocked Up, I really enjoyed it, but wasn't ROFL as the truncated lingo of our texting culture might say, and yet - when I saw it again just a week ago - I was instantly re-hooked and found it even more entertaining than before. Perhaps Zack and Miri will have a similar effect; I wouldn't be at all surprised.

But on my first viewing, I'd give it a solid 7.0 with some definite replay quality. This is one you'll likely pop in with some friends even after you've all seen it many times.