The two cross paths when Alison decides to celebrate her promotion with her sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann). A night at the club and several drinks later, Ben and Alison end up back at her place for a one-night stand. The morning after is less than pretty — while Ben is clearly enamored by her, it's obvious that Alison was seeing him through beer goggles the night before. The two go their separate ways and it isn't until eight weeks later that Ben hears from Alison again… with news that she's pregnant. Shock, denial and comedy ensue. After a brief will we/won't we debate, the couple decides to have the child and make a go at having a relationship. The rest of the film is spent focusing on the ups and downs of two inherently different people trying to make a relationship work, all set atop the backdrop of an impending childbirth.
The strength of the film is clearly its cast, led by Rogen and Heigl — two players that are typically relegated to sidekick status. Not only do they have the chops to be in the limelight, but their chemistry — as it grows over the course of the film — is both humorous and believable. The supporting players are equally comical. Mann and Paul Rudd play Alison's sister and brother-in-law respectively — working through a challenging marriage. They provide the counter to the optimistic relationship Alison and Ben are trying to develop. Then there's Ben's roommates, named after the real-life actors who play them. For an example of the zaniness these characters bring to the table look no further than the unscripted beard jokes thrown at Martin. His character accepts a bet to not shave or cut his hair for a year, while his buddies proceed to rib him relentlessly in an effort to weaken his will.
This, in turn, serves as a testament to Knocked Up's director Judd Apatow. Not only does he give his characters the freedom to utilize their well-honed improv backgrounds, but he's also developed a trust and unspoken form of communication from having worked with them on so many projects. Interviews with the individual actors reveal the same message: Each would sign a life-long contract to work with the director if offered, and that kind of dedication shows up on screen.
Of course, this sort of "in your face" humor is not for everyone. While I found myself cracking up at Ben trying to convince Alison as to the virtues of doggy style, I couldn't quite see my mom having the same reaction. However, it's clear that Apatow is pushing the envelope without crossing the line — much as he did with 40 Year Old Virgin. R-rated comedies are box office gold as of late, and my demographic is right there to prove it.
The hilarious Knocked Up is a great companion piece to 40 Year Old Virgin. Taking the struggles that haunt a mismatched relationship to the next level, Heigl and Rogen light up the screen with the comedic help of a fantastic supporting cast.
(Film review by Eric Moro)
DVD Editor's Note: This two-disc edition of Knocked Up hits in an extended and unrated version sporting a few extras minutes of material and a cinematic ton of DVD extras. The additional content only further supports the fact that writer/director Apatow has mastered the skillful blend of low and high-brow humor - of absurdist, improvised dialogue and good, old-fashioned jokes. There is a wit to this film operating effectively on multiple levels which accompanies an unusual - and certainly welcome - amount of heart and emotional impact. It's neither high-art nor simple, mainstream, lowest-common-denominator comedy. It's the best of both worlds and it firmly establishes Apatow as one of the most gifted comic voices working today.
Score: 9 out of 10
Video and Presentation
With Knocked Up, Apatow and Company have created a film more about content than presentation. There's no degree of overly-impressive cinematography here - no stylized shot set-ups or world-class set design. It's a simple, character-driven comedy about real people in a real situation and everything here supports that. Consequently, nothing pops about the image, but the transfer is more than adequate. Very little grain, ghosting or artifcating. Adequate black levels and great coloration. Overall, a quality transfer.
Score: 8 out of 10
Languages and Audio
Surprisingly, Knocked Up makes excellent use of audio to clever comedic effect, whether it be the simple ratio of dialogue-to-noise in a dance club, the selection of music in some of the Vegas sequences, the alt-rock montage soundtracks or the occasional use of an effect to underscrore a joke or transition. All of that is well-sustained here, though none of it is likely to show off your sound system. Thankfully, this simply isn't that kind of film. The music and dialogue are crystal clear and none of the jokes or dramatic beats fall victim to a poor audio mix.
Score: 8 out of 10
Extras and Packaging
Rarely do we here at IGN see actual value in the additional content thrust with such usual carelessness onto a DVD - an EPK here, a ten-minute documentary there. So it is rarer, still, that we'll award anything a perfect-ten, but the Knocked Up DVD approaches the basic concept of extra content with such careful planning and razor-witted comedy that one can't help but acknowledge that - at least for this type of film - this is exactly what bonus content should be. And, quite thankfully, there's a TON of it…
- Cast and Crew Commentary
- Finding Ben Stone
- Kuni Files
- Kuni Gone Wild
- Gummy: The Sixth Roommate
- Line-O-Rama
- Beard-O-Rama
- Roller Coaster Doc
- Directing the Director
- Stripper Confidential
- First Sex on Camera
- Deleted Scenes
- Extended/Alternate Scenes
- Three Gag Reels
- Raw Footage
- Katherin Heigel Audition Tape
Each of these offerings - with the exception of a select few - are generally five to ten-minutes in length, but all of them journey to very different, yet equally effective, comedic destinations. Whether it's an extended montage of beard jokes or alternate takes of improvised reactions (found in the "O' Rama" featurettes), these smaller arrangements are a near-endless barrage of one-liners - all of which serve to not only to provide additional comedy, but also to communicate a sense of just how much fun it must have been to work on this film.
Perhaps the funniest of these are the two featurettes about the character of Dr. Kuni - his five-minute extended freakout somehow manages to compact every laugh from the film and cram it into a single, concise sequence. An absolute must-watch.
But a few of these items illustrate an incredible amount of forethought and planning specifically for their inclusion on the DVD - namely, the "Finding Ben Stone" and "Directing the Director." The first of these is a half-hour long "what-if" placing alternate actors into the role filled by Seth Rogen - going so far as to illustrate their fictional conflicts with Apatow, or filming entire sequences with them in the spotlight. These actors include Justin Long, Michael Sera, Andy Kumholtz and even Apatow himself. And, finally, "Directing the Director" is a behind-the-scenes documentary wherein the studio loses confidence in Apatow and hires the director of Capote to shadow him around the set.
Whether the DVD goes behind-the-scenes with the actors, creates fully-fictional and satirical mini-docs, presents alternate versions of scenes, extended sequences, or well-edited line montages - Knocked Up fully understands the function of bonus content and delivers perfectly.
Score: 10 out of 10
The Bottom Line
An hilarious, heartfelt movie with a complex, funny and well-planned DVD. This is a must-own for any fan of high-quality comedy.
(DVD review by Christopher Monfette)
