Knocked Up Movie Review

Judd Apatow has done it again. First the man knocked it out of the ballpark with The 40 Year Old Virgin and now Knocked Up, his incredibly funny take on the hazards of one night stands, proves to be even more entertaining than its predecessor.

How’d he pull it off? The answer's simple. Apatow’s characters are grounded in reality. The Freaks and Geeks creator doesn’t just load his movies with pretty people spouting movie dialogue, he actually creates films with characters you’d meet at college or hanging out at local bar. They're not perfect and best of all, they speak to each other just like you'd talk to your best friends. Also working in its favor is the fact that just like Apatow’s Virgin, Knocked Up has a really surprising sweetness to it amidst some truly raunchy jokes.

The Story

Seth Rogen, an unlikely romantic leading man, is perfectly cast as slacker Ben Stone. Ben lives in a frat house-type abode with his buddies (off-screen friends Martin Starr, Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, and Jonah Hill) and spends his time sort of working on creating a website about naked celebrities. Work isn't a high priority for Ben. Mostly, he’s a loveable oaf who just hangs out with his goofy friends, getting drunk, talking about sex as well as other assorted topics guys in their 20s typically discuss at great length.

One night at a bar slamming back drinks with his friends, Ben gets lucky when he hits on a gorgeous lady who, had they been sober, would have been way out of his league. Ben makes a connection with Allison Scott (Katherine Heigl), an equally soused entertainment reporter out celebrating a promotion. Nonsensical conversation and raging hormones lead to a night of sex, followed by a morning of awkward small talk over breakfast. That would normally be the end of their relationship but as fate would have it, Allison discovers she’s...wait for it...knocked up.

How Ben and Allison handle the news of an unplanned pregnancy is rich fodder for comedy, as Ben’s sophomoric buddies come up with various ideas on how to deal with his impending fatherhood. But what really makes Knocked Up work is the unlikely relationship that grows between the two soon-to-be parents. It’s sweet without being saccharine and funny without being ridiculous or over-the-top.

The Bottom Line

Apatow has a knack for making even the goofiest character into much more than a one-dimensional mock-up, and though the Knocked Up ensemble is rather large, each member has a distinct personality. Apatow brought in actors he’d worked with before in TV projects and other feature films to fill the supporting roles. Their friendship and familiarity with each other’s styles lend an extra layer of authenticity to their characters. You can’t fake the friendship vibe between Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, and Rogen, all of whom deliver terrific performances.

Also stealing scene after scene are Leslie Mann (also known as Mrs Judd Apatow) as Heigl’s sister and Paul Rudd as Mann’s husband. Mann and Rudd’s storyline is just as entertaining as what’s happening between the two leads thanks to how well Mann and Rudd manipulate the material. Another stand-out in a cameo role is Ryan Seacrest. The American Idol host sheds his nice guy image in a scene so outrageous, so out of character you need to see it twice to appreciate how far he takes it.

Knocked Up provides a surprisingly insightful look at relationships while never forgetting it’s first and foremost a comedy movie set to entertain and not educate. In other words, it never gets preachy or plays out like a relationship instruction manual yet it takes a real honest approach to the subject matter and has a real heart to it. But I’m making Knocked Up sound as though it’s a cutesy pregnancy film and it’s definitely not. Apatow’s 40 Year Old Virgin is a G-rated family film compared to how lewd and crude the guys of Knocked Up get. No subject is off-limits and when you expect a joke to back away from the punch line, it doesn’t. Apatow goes for it and the result is absolutely hilarious.

GRADE: A-

Knocked Up was directed by Judd Apatow and is rated R for sexual content, drug use and language.