'Zack And Miri Make A Porno' (R): The title of writer-director Kevin Smith's latest raunch-fest, "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," says it all. The funny thing is, while the movie is a full-frontal assault, so to speak, with its crudity, there's an amazing amount of heart carefully layered within.

The controversial comedy stars Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks as Zack and Miri -- longtime platonic friends and roommates who hatch a plan to make an X-rated video to raise money to get the heat and lights in the apartment turned on.

Attracting a group of lovable loser locals to star in their production (including frequent Smith co-star Jason Mewes, "The Office" star Craig Robinson, and real porn stars Traci Lords and Katie Morgan), Zack and Miri discover that in the joys of making a porno, there may be something special between them.

Smith, of course, has no problem pushing crudity and sex jokes to the limit (All the way from "Clerks" and its sequel to "Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back"), and the graphic dialogue and action here is deliberately constructed to offend as many people as possible. That's why the transition to the heart of the story is so refreshing, and it keeps "Zack and Miri" from going nowhere fast.

While "Zack and Miri" will easily please Smith's followers, viewers new to the filmmaker's work should consider this fair warning. And don't even think about getting this DVD if you want to impress a new date on Valentine's Day.

DVD Features: Outtakes, production featurettes, Webisodes and more. (Genius Products/Weinstein Co.)

Also New This Week:

'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa' (PG): Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett-Smith) are all back with a roar in this sequel to 2005 animated hit. This time around the four New York City Zoo animals leave Madagascar and end up in the African wild. Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") returns to the voice cast, which also includes a turn by the late Bernie Mac. (Paramount/DreamWorks Home Entertainment)