Starring: Seth Rogan, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann.
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Review Written By: Joey D
Pregnancy, whether deliberate or unintended, is often portrayed as a beautiful thing in modern motion pictures. Once impregnated in Hollywood, the expectant process usually consists of comical mood swings aimed at the male presence, gagging sounds and a thirty second labour shortly followed by an unrealistically clean, slightly larger than average baby being handed over to the overwhelmed parents. As idealistic as that all appears, it is unfortunately devoid of any realism.
For the two main characters in Knocked Up, their situation is lacking idealism and is smothered in harsh reality – a concept that has made director Judd Apatow, the king of adult comedy.
Ben Stone (Seth Rogen – The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad), a lowlife with a passion for drugs and celebrity nudity, hooks up with successful television host Alison (Katherine Heigl – Greys Anatomy) after a night of heavy drinking which leads to them having unprotected sex. After several embarrassing public displays of early pregnancy, she gathers that she is ‘knocked up’ and contacts the egotistical Ben to give him the ‘good news’! What follows is the couple’s struggle to stay together despite obvious idiosyncrasy, Ben’s inability to manage his drug habit and a related married couple at war (Paul Rudd – Anchorman, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Leslie Mann – Big Daddy, The Cable Guy).
In terms of comedy, we are treated to some of the funniest one-liners, gross out visual gags (in particular, the graphic ‘crowning’ scene!) and Robert De Niro impressions ever committed to celluloid. The majority of the gags are delivered from Paul Rudd, screen-husband to uptight Leslie Mann. His comical timing is spotless with every film he makes an appearance in, with his Robert De Niro send-up whilst discussing ‘breaking waters’, provides the funniest moment of the entire movie. Though not all of the praise should be received by Rudd as newcomer Seth Rogen - who is also executive producer - makes a hilarious debut as the loveable stoner Ben.
Katherine Heigl shines as a sweet, suburban girl who, through beer goggles, makes either the biggest mistake or the most beautiful accident of her life. Her character’s promotion to on-screen presenter for trashy celebrity channel E! while trying to hide pregnancy from millions of viewers is a charming aspect of a character who’s progression in life would suffer most from the unexpected pregnancy. Watching Alison, a beautiful woman with high expectations of life, making the most of a bad situation with Ben, an ugly loser with no aspirations, proves to its audience that despite a lack of dragons or super villains, the film still has a hero.
Apart from the main characters, we are also treated to several guest appearances from some of the biggest names in Hollywood. The two funniest cameos are from American Idol’s Ryan Seacrest and son of the Green Goblin, James Franco as they personify themselves as heartless, shallow actors with busy schedules and apparently, little tolerance of morning sickness! Apatow regular, Steve Carell makes a confusing appearance as himself that is more baffling than funny, which for Carell is an odd turn of events.
What makes Knocked Up such an important film is the idea that pure gross out comedy can also have a sweet side as well. Where other films of the genre such as the American Pie franchise attempt to apply a weak, generic love story to please a vast majority of sickened softies, Knocked Up blends the more vile humour in with a realistic, sugary sweet companionship of the two main characters. This unique formula is the contributing factor that has made Knocked Up, the sleeper hit of the summer and director Judd Apatow the new face of big-screen comedy.
MOVIE MAESTRO RATING:
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