Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023) – A Fantastic Story of Seeking Acceptance and Growing Up

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is the best Ninja Turtles movie I’ve seen. This is a movie with amazing animation and action, great emotional beats and compelling characters that doesn’t contain any plot holes. Suffice to say if you are a fan of the Ninja Turtles or animation I highly recommend checking this movie out. It is a favorite for sure.

The film was directed by Jeff Rowe who co-wrote the film with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit.

The story follows the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as they seek to take out the criminal Superfly (Ice Cube) in order to gain acceptance from the people of New York City.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Animation – Mikros Animation has amazing animation as the world looks hand drawn and blends the 2D and 3D elements beautifully like “Spider-Verse.” This is an amazing looking film and I’d watch it again for the animation alone as besides “Spider-Verse” it is the best I’ve seen.

The Action – The action is great with standout fights being Splinter rescuing the Turtles from T.C.R.I., the final fight against Superfly as a super mutant and when the Turtles are taking down gangs to find out where Superfly is. The action is smooth and elegant and enriches the story so well.

The Soundtrack – Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor did the soundtrack and it is excellent. They give an intensity to the fight scenes and also layers of emotion when we see characters learning about themselves and and their motivations.

The Mutants – There are a lot of Mutants who are a part of Superfly’s gang and each of the connect with the different Turtles or Splinter in their own ways. Raphael gets to be angry with Bebop and Rocksteady, Donatello nerds out with Wingnut and Leatherhead and Mikey chills with Mando Gecko while Leo talks to Superfly. It creates a wonderful dynamic and you can see why the Mutants turn against the genocidal aims of Superfly.

Superfly – Ice Cube plays Superfly, the primary villain of the film whose goal is to genocide all humans and mutate all animals to rule the world. His motive comes from seeing T.C.R.I. kill his creator Baxter Stockman and due to him and his group of mutants being attacked when they went out into the world for the first time. You can see where his rage comes from even though his approach is immoral and evil. It makes him a great villain and he tough too as even after the other mutants turn against him he still manages to be a threat and mutates further before finally being stopped by mutants and humans working together.

April O’Neil – Ayo Edibiri’s April O’Neil is a journalist attempting to be a hero after she embaressed herself throwing up during the school news hour she was presenting. She eventually realizes that her using the Turtles is just for her own ends and redemption and begins acting because it is right to help them stop Superfly. She has a great arc and is the one reason the Turtles eventually get accepted by society for stopping Superfly.

Splinter – Jackie Chan’s Splinter hates humans and you see why due to how he was persecuted as a rat and later when he brought the Turtles above ground when they were babies and he was attacked by a human mob. He realizes he isn’t truly caring for the Turtles though until he sees how Superfly treats the other mutants and he decides he isn’t like Superfly and won’t be like him as he chooses to act differently and embrace the Turtles having freedom of choice. It is a really powerful arc and Jackie Chan is fantastic. He also has one of the best fight scenes where he is rescuing the Turtles from T.C.R.I.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – The Turtles are all voiced by voice-acting teenagers and they are awesome as we see their core personalities of Leo the leader, Raphael the angry fighter, Mikey the comedian and Donatello the nerd and tech. guy. They have a fantastic arc where they come to realize they want to be heroes for the wrong reason and decide to stop Superfly even after the media is reporting them as working with Superfly and being the enemy. They overcome this and become heroes because it is right and eventually humanity does see it as the last scenes are them going to April’s high school and making new friends there. I can’t wait to see where their story unfolds from there. These Turtles are very different from their past counterparts as they talk over each other and makes lots of pop culture references.

The Ending – T.C.R.I. has gone into hiding and their leadership mentions that the way to capture the mutants who are now free is with The Shredder, who see standing in the distance. Really curious how this Shredder will compare to other past versions of the character, and his relationship to T.C.R.I.

Okay:

T.C.R.I. Organization and Leadership – T.C.R.I. wants to make mutant super weapons with the ooze but beyond that we don’t really have the motivation of why beyond money. I hope they get fleshed out in the future as they function as a villain organization in this (killing Baxter Stockman in the beginning) but Superfly is much more compelling in his motivation and as a threat.

The Cons:

Leonardo’s Crush on April – This is a common trope in a lot of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” shows and films where at least one of the Turtles will have a crush on April O’Neil. This has always annoyed me as it ends up simplifying the characters and I never understood why it happens given the Turtles are Turtles and not humans.

With the exception of Leonardo’s crush on April and T.C.R.I. not being all that developed as a threat I thought the film was great and is one I highly recommend. The animation and soundtrack elevate the already strong story and I can’t wait to see the sequel and show that come out of this film. It is easily a favorite film for this year.

Final Score: 9.6 / 10 A favorite film.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023): An Enjoyable Adaptation of Iconic Characters and Their World

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is surprisingly enjoyable. Given how Illumination is one of the studios that seems to not put any effort into their films I was impressed by the amount of effort that was clearly put into this film. Suffice to say if you grew up with the “Mario” games like me you will likely find a lot to enjoy in this movie.

The film was directed by Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath and written by Matthew Fogel.

When plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are pulled into a mysterious universe, Mario must team up with Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) to rescue his brother Luigi from Bowser (Jack Black).

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Animation – Illumination usually doesn’t try with their animation but there was clearly effort put in here as the characters look like how they would in their modern videogames and the different kingdoms feel realized as does Brooklyn.

The World – The world is realized well from the games. From the powerups in blocks and the different kingdoms of the Apes, Penguins, Mushroom and Bowser. The fact that we spend time in animated Brooklyn puts the world in stark contrast too which gives Mario and Luigi a good “fish out of water” situation where they have to adapt which works well for their arc as they need to unite after being separated.

The Characters – I thought the voice acting would be bad but it works for the characters. Seth Rogen’s Donkey Kong is arrogant but comes to respect Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach is believable as the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom and Charlie Day’s Luigi does the fear that Luigi often has so well while Chris Pratt’s Mario is the stubborn and driven hero. Jack Black’s Bowser works great too as a threat and Keegan-Michael Key’s Toad is a lot of fun as the adventurous Toad fighting for his kingdom.

The Cons:

The Popular Music Chosen – The popular music chosen is where this film is laziest. “I Need a Hero” plays when Mario is training to rescue Luigi and “Take on Me” when they are in the Ape Kingdom is chosen for some reason. The choices are predictable and lazy and I wish we’d gotten more of the iconic game soundtracks instead.

A Lack of Reflection – Unlike “The Lego Movie” this is a film that doesn’t want to have any sort of reflection on it’s world and characters. For this reason I can’t really call it good. It wasn’t willing to go deeper or really elevate anything.

This was a really enjoyable film that understandably was popular with the general public. These are iconic characters and this film brings them and their world to life. I’m curious to see if we’ll get a sequel or spin-offs as the potential is all clearly there as this film succeeded in bringing the world of “Mario” to life.

Final Score: 7.8 / 10

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) – An Enjoyable Buddy Action Comedy Honoring Animation

“Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” is a fun possible sequel to “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” a film I look forward to reviewing in the future. This is a buddy comedy at the core but it could have been more had it done more with the premise and gone deeper into the ideas present. Still, this is a fun film worth checking out if you enjoyed “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

The film was directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mend.

In a world where cartoons live side by side with people famous 80’s tv stars Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) must save their friend Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) after he is kidnapped.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Animation – The animation is cell-shaded for showing 2-D animation but still works showing the difference between the 3-D some animated characters go through and those who don’t or weren’t created in 3-D. I liked it and felt like it melded seamlessly into the film.

The Comedy – The comedy is a buddy comedy and mostly works. You have the folks behind “Lonely Island” writing the film so there is more going on than just references, though reference humor is still a part of the film as best shown through Ugly Sonic.

The Action – The action is great as we see Chip and Dale fighting against “Stinky Pete” and his technology that warps animated Toons into new toons he uses for his knock-off films. The fact that the chipmunks are small helps raise the stakes and there is a great fight at the end using the claymation style of animated character too.

Okay:

The Animated Characters and the Problem of Reference – Reference is still a problem even though it is less of a problem than it could have been. I still enjoyed most of the comedy but you do still have leaning into jokes for a bit too long and some characters only exist to show they exist and aren’t utilized like Ugly Sonic in the plot.

The Cons:

The Human Characters – There aren’t any interesting human characters. You have a human detective working with Chip and Dale and helping them find Monterey Jack but she is the only one who gets any development and she only exists as a superfan of their show. The humans suck in this film.

Some of the Voice Acting – Mulaney and Samberg just sound like themselves and it is a shame as they both can be super animated. I wish more had been done to make them sound like the characters who they were playing rather than it being a skit.

Toons Villains Only – “Stinky Pete” is evil Peter Pan and his minions are a Coca-Cola Bear reference and
“Polar Express” meets “Elder Scrolls” reference as his minions. J.K. Simmons as the Gumby corrupt Police Chief is pretty awesome as an antagonist though. None of them receive any development of their motivations and they just exist as references, which is one of the problems of the film.

I enjoyed this film and if you are looking for a fun rental or already have Disney Plus it is worth checking out. Beyond that, as someone who is picky about comedies I like I did like this one. It is a competently written film and I’m curious if more will be done with this world and if will be made an official sequel in the lore of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

Final Score: 7 / 10

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011): Letting Go of the Past and the Quest for Inner Peace

“Kung Fu Panda 2” is easily the best of the “Kung Fu Panda Trilogy” and of the best animated films out there. This is a film that deals with the themes of trauma, loss and found family as well as giving us some amazing action and character arcs. This film is a favorite and I think shows just how great animated stories can be. So without going into spoilers, this is one I highly recommend.

The film was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.

The story follows Po (Jack Black) and the Furious Five when they must stop Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) and his new weapon from conquest.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Opening – We get a great opening with Michelle Yeoh’s Soothsayer saying how Lord Shen used the invention of fireworks to come up with weapons leading to his exile after he heard a prophecy of a black and white warrior defeating him. This lead to his hunting down all pandas and his parents exiling him. After we see him return to Gongmen City, his home an defeating the martial arts masters with his new weapon. The stakes are immediate and we see what is at stake when Lord Shifu gets the message of what has happened and sends Po and the Furious Five to stop Lord Shen.

The Animation – The animation is almost realistic in the forest and some of the city settings with the details of ships looking almost lifelike. It is beautiful and plays into the dark tone of the film.

The Action – The action is great in this with memorable sequences being attacking Lord Shen at the palace and the docks where we see is cannons on full display as well as how great our heroes are against his wolf forces. There are slower moments too that add impact when the action sequences happen.

Wolf Boss – Danny McBride plays Lord Shen’s second-in-command and he is a good threat too as we see him hold his own against Po and how well he works wit his pack. He also isn’t all evil too as when Lord Shen says he should fire on their men to take out the Furious Five and their allies he refuses, leading to Lord Shen killing him.

The Furious Five – The Furious Five get more to do in this and we see how well they work as a team as they shout out tactics they use. They are there for Po in his identity crisis they use and each of them have their moment to shine in fighting Lord Shen or teaching Po in the case of Tigress. I loved them in this.

The Soothsayer – Michelle Yeoh’s Soothsayer is a character full of regret as we see she tries to help Lord Shen let go and heal but can’t though sh is able to help Po heal. We see the regret she feels for sharing the prophecy that lead to the hunting of Pandas and how much she wishes Lord Shen could heal. She is compelling andshines in every scene she is in.

Mr. Ping – Mr. Ping in this shares how he found and adopted Po and we see his arc as at one point he fears that Po has left him forever when Po doesn’t say “I love you” when he says good-bye. It is a heartbreaking scene and I’m glad one of the last scenes is Po returning to say Mr. Ping is his dad. James Hong is once again great and one of the most memorable characters. He never planned to b a dad but embraced it when it happened.

Lord Shen – Gary Oldman plays the best villain in this series. Shen is a villain with so much rage and regret who can’t accept love and it has driven him to hate everything. He is a brilliant inventor but in the end he can’t see anything beyond that which he can take. He is broken and alone and it makes him a fascinating villain. All he has is his ego, pride and resentment. Just like Tai Lung.

Po – Po’s arc is powerful in this as he figures out who he is as he never new his biological parents (though we see his dad survived Lord Shen and his wolves at the end) and his need to know puts the Furious Five at risks. He becomes driven for outside validation like Lord Shen and Tai Lung until he remembers his past and his mother saving him during his time with the Soothsayer. It is a powerful arc and with Inner Peace he is able to free his friends and defeat Lord Shen and his forces.

How the Past Can Consume – Lord Shen and Po are both consumed by feeling abandoned by their parents (for different reasons) and this leads to them acting out and ignoring those who care for them. Shen only has his hat and rage and Po only in accepting himself realizes the friends and family he has, finding peace in the present. They are contrasted in the message of the film.

Found and Created Family – Master Shifu, the Furious Five, Mr. Ping these are Po’s found family and it takes him nearly dying to realize it as he comes to understand that he may not have the family who saved him but he has a family who love him. These relationships illustrate why this Trilogy is one of my favorites.

This is the best film in the Trilogy and one of the best animated films out there. It has so many characters and they all have a chance to be amazing and nuanced. I love this film and each time I return to it I notice something new. I highly recommend this film and of course the Trilogy as a whole.

Final Score: 10 / 10

Kung Fu Panda (2008): Finding the Power Within and Accepting Yourself

I’ve been planning to finish up my reviews of this Trilogy as it is one that I come back to given how great the action, themes and characters are and once again I was not disappointed. Really the only weak part of the first film is First Act pacing and some of Po’s jokes early on. Besides that the core conflict and arcs are fantastic and without getting into spoilers I highly recommend this film.

“Kung Fu Panda” was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.

The story follows noodle cook Po (Jack Black) when he is chosen as the legendary Dragon Warrior and must face himself and the trials of martial arts as the feared warrior Tai Lung (Ian McShane) breaks out prison to get revenge against his master and the valley.

SPOILERS ahead

The Pros:

The Animation – There is beautiful comic book stylized 2D animation when Po is telling his story of joining the Furious Five in a dream and after the main colorful 3D for the rest of the film. The animation looks amazing and captures the beauty of the valley and the isolation of Tai Lung’s mountain prison well. The animation is smooth too leading to some great action sequences.

The Action – The action is amazing in this with Tai Lung’s escape, Tai Lung against the Furious Five and Tai Lung against Master Shifu as the best action sequences. We have a prison falling apart, a fight on a bridge and at the top of a mountain temple. You feel the punches and action and it establishes how powerful the Furious Five, Master Shifu and eventually Po are.

The Characters – The characters are what make this film work as especially for comedy they have to. All the main and supporting cast I cared about and I’ll go into a few here.

Mr. Ping – Mr. Ping is Po’s adopted dad and owner of the noodle shop in the village. He is traditional in that he wants Po to carry on the family trade but he supports Po when Po discovers being a martial art master is what he wants. James Hong gives him so much empathy and he is one of the reasons this Trilogy works so well.

The Furious Five – The Furious Five are fantastic though they exist more as the great team with their base personalities being Mantis is voiced by Seth Rogen and grumpy but open minded, Jolie’s Tigress is distrusting and the leader, Jackie Chan’s Monkey is the jokester, Lucy Liu’s Viper is kind and Cross’s Crane is sarcastic. They are the main protectors of the village in the valley and are Po’s idols and eventual friends.

Tai Lung – Tai Lung is a snow leopard voiced by Ian McShane driven by the expectations he places upon himself and his master Shifu that eventually drive him mad with rage. He believes himself the best and it made him entitled and unwilling to have any self-reflection. It is this that leads to his undoing when Po takes the message of the Dragon Scroll that the answer is within yourself that defeats Tai Lung who never grows beyond outside expectations, ego and rage. He is a great villain and easily one of the best animated villains. He also has all the best action sequences in the film showing just how dangerous he is.

Po – Po’s arc is to accept himself and the power that is within. It is a great hero’s journey that works well because of his mentors of Oogway, Shifu and his father Mr. Ping. Jack Black gives the character so much humanity and I liked his arc of learning martial arts and coming to accept himself. It is organic an made sense as did his starting out as an outsider among the Furious Five and earning their respect.

Master Shifu – Hoffman’s Shifu is the heart of this film as his relationship to Tai Lung gives us some of the best drama. After his failure to teach Tai Lung humility he stopped complimenting his students. He becomes strict and it is only after Oogway’s death and him passing on leadership of the Temple to him that he learns and grows and finds how to play to Po’s strengths. He has a great arc and I like how he finally finds the inner peace he’d always been seeking since Tai Lung’s betrayal.

Accepting Yourself – A huge theme of the film is self-acceptance and we see it Shifu and Po who do and in Tai Lung’s failure to do so. The Tao and martial arts are used as the means of teaching it and it is done really well.

The Cons:

Slow Start – The beginning is all set-up from Po’s perspective, which is fine but the greater story is really that between Shifu and Tai Lung which is a lot slower to kick off than I remember. If Tai Lung had been made part of the story sooner the film would be better.

Some of Po’s Jokes – Po’s fake confidence is grating and I felt like Master Shifu in some scene of just wanting the action to move forward. When bad jokes happen and Po jokes too much the story stalls.

The first 2 “Kung Fu Panda” films are easily 2 of my favorite animated films and it was great returning back to the beginning of this amazing trilogy. If you haven’t seen it and want animated films with a deeper point and great action and characters than this is the film for you.

Final Score: 9.6 / 10

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016): A Solid Part of the Series and Becoming a Teacher

     Dreamworks has two great Franchises that still manage to put out great animated films. Those Franchises are “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Kung Fu Panda.” These are series that take inspiration from their worlds (fantasy, Kung Fu films) and keep the characters and plots real and at times deep, while still managing to have a sense of humor. “Kung Fu Panda 3” is no different, though I think “Kung Fu Panda 2” is the better film, which I’ll go into at another time when I go through the first and second film.

      “Kung Fu Panda 3” was directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni, written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and produced by Melissa Cobb.

    The story involves Po (Jack Black) being found by his father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston) and returning back his father’s village to learn the art of chi when Kai (J.K. Simmons) breaks free from the Spirit Realm and is seeking to consume everyone’s Chi. Po must learn the art before all fall before Kai and the Masters whose chi he possess and now controls.

SPOILERS ahead

 The Pros: The World – The world is a fantastic fantasy world populated by humanoid animals that live in China. We have far off villages like the Panda one that are almost Tibetan in theme and also the main city with the Jade Temple which is reminiscent of Beijing. The world feels lived in too and the heroes who walk among the people are celebrated as such, like celebrities.

The Animation – The animation goes between classically inspired painting in telling back stories or montages, to the flowing 3D that makes up most of the film. It truly is beautiful.

The Soundtrack – Hans Zimmer creates an amazing score and pulls on classical Chinese music for a lot of his score. It is wonderful and pulls on the heart strings and elevates the action when it needs to, but I wouldn’t expect any less from Zimmer who is a master of his craft.

The Characters – The main characters are fantastic and have great moments that give them complexity and reason for their actions. This is a character driven story and it is the relationships that inform the action, like any good action movie.

Li Shan – Bryan Cranston plays Li Shan (Po’s Father) and does a great job as a man who lies to be with his son again as he says the Pandas know the art of Chi (even though it has been lost to time) and spends time connecting with Po’s adoptive father Mr. Ping and in the process helping Po realize that he isn’t alone, which saves his son multiple times.

Mr. Ping – James Hong is an amazing voice actor and I’ve loved him in his role as Po’s adoptive father Mr. Ping. We see him go through jealousy when Li Shan finds Po but also him get over it as he becomes a part of the Panda Village and gets the chance to be a father again to all the baby Pandas as well as council Po in the coming battle when Po feels only alone.

Master Shifu – Dustin Hoffman is a great actor and he has the chance to shine here as the one challenging Po to be better and that he still has much to learn. Sadly we don’t get to see him at his height as Kai consumes his chi, leaving it up to Po to rescue him. In the end he has humility though and asks to learn the art of chi from Po after the final battle.

Grand Master Oogway – Oogway’s chi is consumed in order for Kai to enter the mortal realm and through it all he is the one guiding all of them as it was the Panda’s of old who made him realize that it would be there that that the Dragon Warrior (Po) would be born. In the end Po gets to say good-bye to him too and we see how much of Yoda type figure Oogway has always been.

Kai – I liked Kai and not just because J. K. Simmons voiced him. This is a character who felt left behind as he watched his friend who he saved found peace…and he couldn’t stand that. He was a general so to him power was things and this what leads him to take chi from others. In the end his greed consumes him though as he misses the point of what power really was.

Po – This is the film of Po not only getting comfortable in his skin but becoming a teacher of others as he realizes it is playing to peoples’ strengths that can help them master themselves. He also is saved by the village when Kai nearly consumes his chi as it is in him realizing all his different identities that he realizes how he is the Dragon Warrior and uses his infinite chi to explode Kai as Kai’s body is unable to contain it all.

Finding Self – Finding self is a major theme of the the film as Po doesn’t really know who he is beyond being a warrior who cares about his friends. It is only after he becomes a teacher that he begins to realize how much he doesn’t know again and that who he is, is a part of everyone else. It is this individualist yet collectivist belief that he becomes the Dragon Warrior.

Power in Community – Kai is alone and uses others as slaves in order to take more. Po is someone who is dependent fully on others and it is in that difference of the many versus the one that his full power is unlocked. One stick can break easily, but it is harder to break a bundle.

Taking v. Serving and Enlightenment – The other theme of the film involves taking versus serving…all the characters who grow are those who learn to see outside of themselves and their own selfishness. Li Shan tells the truth, Po serves others, Oogway defeats Kai the first time by protecting others. This is where true power is unlocked in the film.

Family is Greater Than Blood – Mr. Ping is not Po’s blood and the movie makes a point of that, and it also makes a point of showing that Mr. Ping is Po’s second father and that he needs both of his fathers and it is because of both of them he lives and has grown to be who he is. This is an awesome message that really illustrates that family is greater than blood.

Okay; The Other Masters – Master Mantis, Monkey, Snake and Crane are all comedic relief and Master Tigress is relegated to action hero who doesn’t get to make any choices. This is sad as they got some great exploration over the last two films. They aren’t ever annoying but this was a missed opportunity.

The Pandas of the Village – There is a line between comedic village and real people and I don’t know where the Pandas fall on this line. So I’m putting them at okay.

Kai’s End Game – Was he going to conquer the world after consuming everyone’s chi or did he plan to just consume forever? I wish this had been set down a little better.

      This was a really good film, for me it was “Finding Dory” levels of enjoyable, though it didn’t reach original Pixar quality like “Inside Out” or even touch the perfect film of “Kubo and the Two Strings,” but it worked for all that it was. This is Dreamworks paying tribute to Kung Fu films and taking the philosophy into the film while giving us fun and comedic characters…as well as drama and family. If you haven’t seen it or any of the films in this Franchise, go and check them out. If you have kids they will love it and the world is so much deeper that it appears at first glance, just like the Kung Fu films it draws inspiration from. The action is used to make a larger point and tell the drama of people who show us the ways we can grow as well.

Final Score: 9 / 10 I’d rate it higher if Kai had been explored better and if the other Masters had been treated better and not just played for comedic relief.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008): Almost a Satire of a Romantic Comedy

Kevin Smith is a director whose work I have yet to review, until today. Most of my experience with him is with “Dogma” since I haven’t reviewed and of the “Clerks” films yet, but definitely will at some point. He has a certain style though, that I noticed that still comes out in this film, even if it fees more like a Judd Apatow movie at times (the leads as a good example, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks).

“Zack and Miri make a Porno” was directed and written by Kevin Smith, and produced by Scott Mosier.

The story involves Zack and Miri who are two roommates and friends living together who are so far in debt working jobs they don’t like when they get an idea after a video of Miri in her underwear goes viral and one of the guys in their school is dating a Gay Porn Star to make a porno together. From here the story involves them getting the team together and the drama that ensues from there.

Here is the assessment of the film:

The Pros: The humanity – No character is a caricature. This is one thing I was worried about when they were going about casting for their porno, but all the side characters and the leads are treated with respect. They have pros and cons and are human like everyone else. No character is just played for laughs, it is more the situations that create the laughs.

The Music – The music is wonderful, James L. Venable did a good job. At times it has a rock star feel, other times a bluegrass feel, but in every situation it enhances the scene, which is one thing good soundtracks can do.

Zack and Miri – I actually liked these characters. When you first meet them they are horrible people who only want sex and to avoid paying their bills and in forming any kind of meaningful relationship, but after hte High School Reunion and power and water getting cut they are forced to by circumstances. They both do a good job playing the lovable losers and I wish their responsibility arc had finished up and not been undercut by turning their pretty neat relationship into a romance. For much of the film their relationship satires a romantic comedy…which I’ll go into later. Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen play their roles very well.

Satire of a Romantic Comedy – At times this film feels like a satire of romantic comedies, and it is in those moments it works. An example would be them growing closer in filming the porno while still having so much focus on the work even as relationship grows. It is done in such a way they could have kept that and ended the relationship with them having community (the cast and crew) responsibility and success and left the romance open. The parts were all there to make it work. Some of the best humor was here, especially in their interactions with the porn stars and making the costumes and set.

Star Whores – Kevin Smith loves “Star Wars” them making a porno and doing the photo shoot for it before the place got torn down in the film was funny. You could see the actors and actresses really got into it and the dialogue was funny too such as the names of the Sequels and “The Prequels Trilogy.”

Con: Magic Sex – Everything changes when they have sex in their porno scene. I don’t deny this happens or could happen, but in this it felt that it was given more power than it deserved, given that both of them had already been with so many people and that hadn’t made them jealous or possessive with one another. It was part of what made it work.

Zack’s Possessiveness – Dude, she is your friend…act like it. When he wrote the script he has it so he has sex with two people while she only does him. The silver lining in this is she stands up to him and says it isn’t okay. Miri is a great character…and Zack get’s over his possessiveness by the end thankfully.

Delaney’s Marriage – Delaney’s marriage is made to show that relationships don’t always work. He is in a loveless marriage with his wife and when you first see her all they do is fight. Hell, a big part of why he helps make the porno is he wants to see breasts. I would have liked to see some positives in how the relationship was done. Craig Robinson is good at playing the friend though, it’s just his character’s marriage that is poorly written. I get the fighting, would have liked to see some reason why they were together still.

So, how did the film hold up? It had the seeds for greatness here, but only ended up being a movie I liked. The comedy for the most part, worked. The story…by turning it into a straight up romantic comedy, cheapened how great romantic comedies were being satired in the piece. I’m curious if Kevin Smith changed his mind partway through, since the first 2 acts really promote the satire and build the friendship and getting out of circumstances thing…while the 3rd Act is them becoming romantically involved, which really was the weakest part of the movie because it shifted the tone so drastically.

Would I still recommend it? If you like romantic comedies and are down with the subject matter, yes. If you like Kevin Smith, I’d also say yes. Just know in both cases it isn’t great. It is okay/good.

Final score for the film is 7 / 10