Kevin Smith owes as much to Judd Apatow for his new film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, as Apatow owes to Smith for his career. Where Smith broke through barriers of making simple, vulgar comedies over serious emotional backdrops with films such asClerks, Chasing Amy and Mallrats, Apatow perfected it (and made it profitable) with Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad.

Now, with nearly everything Apatow touches turning to gold, Smith has gone and borrowed his crew, using Apatow’s go-to guy Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express), as well as Apatow alumni Craig Robinson (Pineapple Express) and Elizabeth Banks (W.).

Seeing those actors under Smith’s lens only punctuates the similarities between the two directors. Both rely on intelligent, rapid-fire dialogue, underdog protagonists, relationships and, of course, gross-out humor.

But where Apatow is able to create and produce films as earnest as they are vulgar and funny, Smith stumbles a bit in Zack and Miri, an enjoyable ride with a lackluster payoff (pun intended).

The film casts Rogen and Banks’ titular characters as the best friends who have never dated but probably secretly love each other. The two live together, have known each other since high school and do everything together. (Example: Miri has a dildo on her Amazon.com Wish List; Zack sees it and orders its male counterpart, the Fleshlight.)

Zack works at a coffee shop, and it’s unclear what exactly Miri does for a living, but it can’t be much, as they fall on hard times and can’t afford to pay their bills. After coming home from their 10-year high school reunion, Zack and Miri have their power and heat turned off. Their solution: get drunk, of course.

So, what do two people who lack both options and dignity do to make money? They go into porn.

But you can’t make a porno without a script, actors and, most importantly, money. That’s where Rogen’s co-worker, Delaney (Robinson), comes in. Delaney uses his flat screen television fund to become financier and producer as Rogen cooks up a script for Star Whores, and casting begins.

Everything seems to be coming together, with a ragtag cast and crew featuring Smith regulars Jason Mewes (Netherbeast Incorporated) and Jeff Anderson (Clerks II) and two women who know a thing or two about porn: Traci Lords (Your Name Here) and Katie Morgan (Pleasure Dome). Lords used to make a living in the industry, while Morgan currently does. Surprisingly, both fit into Smith’s comedic world very well.

After a few hiccups, filming begins with one major caveat: Zack and Miri are going to have sex, for the first time, on screen.

And lo and behold, the love story unfolds. Unfortunately, once the two have sex, about midway through the film, their on-screen chemistry falls apart, and Zack and Miri begins to falter.

It’s a shame because for the first half of the film you really believe Zack and Miri are best friends – their relationship is genuinely strong. But after they have sex, it feels like Smith is forcing the issue.

We all know there’s going to be a relationship conflict coming into the movie, but once it happens, things get kind of boring. Sure, the laughs keep coming, but the emotional aspect completely falters – Smith just can’t pull it off like Apatow can, and it holds Zack and Miri back.

Maybe Banks is to blame. She’s the weakest link in a fairly strong cast. None of the characters are particularly well developed, sans Rogen and Banks, but the bit parts all serve the actors’ strengths. Mewes is ridiculous as always as one of the actors in the porno, and Robinson shines with his suburban black man archetype.

Rogen is obviously the star, and he shines as usual, which isn’t a surprise. Zack isn’t far from Knocked Up’s Ben Stone, just like working with Smith isn’t far from working with Apatow.

“What Seth is genius at, is he is great at innately ad-libbing material that sounds like it’s organic to the film, or more specifically, to the character,” Smith said in a conference call with The Diamondback. “He’s also good at ad-libbing stuff that tells the story forward. So, you welcome a guy like that because he’s not just executing – he’s elevating.”

And it’s clear Rogen elevated the film, as he always does.

It’s still strange to see Smith outside of his View Askewniverse – this is only the second film (Jersey Girl is the other) he’s made without his stock recurring characters – but it’s nice to see him branching out, even if the look and feel isn’t far from Clerks II.

Still, it just feels like something’s missing. If Smith wants to try to win back his crown as the king of the silly-yet-serious comedy, he’s going to have to do a bit better than Zack and Miri.

rudi.greenberg@gmail.com

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 stars