Seth Rogen must be having the time of his life. Over the past four years, he’s been paid to knock up Katherine Heigl, get stoned with James Franco and run down Jonah Hill in a cop car; after playing the title character in “”Zack and Miri Make a Porno,”” he can check “”have awkward sex with Elizabeth Banks”” off his list, too.

“”Zack and Miri”” is the newest über-vulgar romantic comedy from Kevin Smith (mastermind of the “”Clerks”” series) that delivers what the title promises: Best friends Zack (Rogen) and Miri (Banks) resolve to make a porno in order to free themselves from economic duress (an idea Congress is also currently deliberating). The friends recruit a quirky team of amateur porno actors, featuring Smith-film regulars Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson (Jay and Randall of “”Clerks”” fame), and real-life porno actress Traci Lords as a bubble-blowing stripper.

“”Zack and Miri”” is essentially an amalgam of the cutesy romance of Smith’s “”Jersey Girl”” and the raunchy humor of “”Clerks II.”” Unfortunately, this synthesis only isolates the most tired, formulaic aspects of either film. For the first hour, the characters are flat, crude and motivated by nothing but sex; for the remainder, they are unbearable romantic comedy stereotypes.

The script, though highly amusing at times (especially when Mewes chews the scenery), is almost distracting – the words “”fuck”” and “”cock”” are used more in the film’s dialogue than in Ron Jeremy’s memoirs – and is irrelevant to the overarching romance between the title characters. The romance itself is endearing, but nothing that wasn’t present in “”Knocked Up,”” since Seth Rogen, after all, plays the same character in every film.

Ultimately, “”Zack and Miri Make a Porno”” is a talented director’s response to a tired trend in romantic comedies, yielding predictable results. Unless you’re on a date, spend the night instead with your favorite Kevin Smith film – or your favorite porno.