Overall Rating
 Awesome: 46.08%
Worth A Look: 36.27%
Average: 7.84%
Pretty Bad: 1.96%
Total Crap: 7.84%
9 reviews, 48 user ratings
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| Knocked Up |
by Lybarger
"Who knew that unwanted pregnancy could be so uplifting?"
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As he demonstrated with “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” writer-director Judd Apatow has a unique ability to make sordid subject matter come off sweetly. In his hands, “Knocked Up,” a movie that deals with unprotected sex, rampant drug use, marital dysfunction and, of course, unwanted pregnancy ends up being heartwarming and achingly funny. Apatow may want to consider a future in horror movies because he can gross out viewers without insulting their intelligence.The story for “Knocked Up” is thin and unevenly paced, but it’s an ideal platform for Apatow’s exquisitely crafted tastelessness. Katherine Heigl (“Gray’s Anatomy”) stars as Alison, an up-and-coming cable TV producer who’s eager to celebrate being in front of the camera for a change.
Her wild night out with her sister Debbie (Leslie Mann, Apatow’s wife) leads to a passionate one night stand with Ben (Seth Rogen). During the evening, he seems a friendly, if pudgy fellow, whose charm has lead her to bed.
In the light of the morning, however, Ben has dozens of issues that prevent him from being a good lifetime mate. He doesn’t have a job, is practically married to his bong and is only interested in setting up an online database of starlet nudity. How he can stay alive on such a miniscule income seems miraculous, but his lack of ambition saves him from most expenses.
Needless to say, she keeps her distance from Ben once breakfast is over.
Unfortunately, Ben’s only apparent virtue is that he’s fertile. Alison reluctantly contacts Ben again, and the two slowly adapt to their new situation. If learning to love someone you’ve barely met weren’t challenging enough, both are children of divorce, and Debbie’s marriage to her music executive Pete (Paul Rudd) doesn’t offer them much hope.
That’s about all there is to the story, but what makes “Knocked Up” entertaining is watching Ben gradually evolve from a confirmed slacker into a functional adult. Apatow and Rogen manage to make the eventual transformation seem convincing and natural. Rogen has proven he can be quite funny, but here he actually demonstrates enough range to carry a film.
As the anal retentive Alison, Heigl’s manages a nice counterpoint to Rogen, and Apatow gets the most out of his supporting cast. Rogen and Rudd were hysterically funny during the “you know how I know you’re gay” sequence in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and coaxes similar results this time. During a Vegas sequence, you’ll never think of Cirque do Soleil quite the same way again.
Even walk-on characters shine in “Knocked Up.” Charlyne Yi is side-splitting as the inebriated girlfriend of Ben’s stoner roommates. She only has four or five lines but manages to steal every scene she’s in.
The film works because Apatow demonstrates a genuine affection for his characters even as he mocks their foibles. Parenthood, now matter how well it works out in the end, is a frightening process, and childrearing is guaranteed to challenge the most stable of couples, much less a duo who’ve only recently become acquainted.
Ben’s bong buddies (Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr) may never do anything useful with their lives, but Apatow makes them as caring as they are lazy.
Fans of Apatow’s old series “Freaks and Geeks” should definitely check out “Knocked Up.” Several of the show’s stars have either cameos or major roles, and even its creator Paul Feig can be spotted in one scene.“Knocked Up” feels a tad long during its two hour running time. Nonetheless, the dead spots in “Knocked Up” are far more entertaining than the punchlines in most comedies.
link directly to this review at https://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=15742&reviewer=382
originally posted: 06/01/07 20:00:00
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OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2007 South By Southwest Film Festival For more in the 2007 South By Southwest Film Festival series, click here.
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USA
01-Jun-2007 (R)
DVD: 25-Sep-2007
UK
N/A
Australia
N/A
![[trailer]](/images/icon/trailericon.gif) Trailer
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