The likelihood of [director Judd] Apatow turning into Chris Columbus or Ron Howard seems refreshingly slight.
Knocked Up (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:225
Fresh:203
Rotten:22
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: Knocked Up is a hilarious, poignant and refreshing look at the rigors of courtship and child-rearing, with a sometimes raunchy, yet savvy script that is ably acted and directed.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for sexual content, drug use and language
Runtime: 2 hrs 13 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:24-08-2007
Synopsis: Katherine Heigl (GREY'S ANATOMY) and Seth Rogen star in this hilarious and touching comedy as two mismatched people brought together by a one-night-stand that results in an accidental pregnancy.... Katherine Heigl (GREY'S ANATOMY) and Seth Rogen star in this hilarious and touching comedy as two mismatched people brought together by a one-night-stand that results in an accidental pregnancy. Using many of the same actors from his previous film, THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN, and his cult television series' UNDECLARED and FREAKS AND GEEKS, director Judd Apatow once again finds fresh humor in relationships and sex. Young, bright, and talented, Alison (Heigl) has everything going for her. After being promoted to an on-camera role at E! Television, Alison goes out to celebrate with her older sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann). Not long into the evening Debbie is called home to her kids, leaving Alison in the eager company of charming slacker Ben (Rogen). In the dark of the nightclub and in the ensuing drunk hours, Ben seems like a great guy. But in the sober light of day, Alison quickly discovers the man in her bed is nothing more than an overgrown child with no job, no money, and the social habits of a teenager. Brushing him off politely as a one-time affair, Alison goes on with her life, until two months later she realizes that the unthinkable has happened. Apatow establishes the differences between his protagonists early in the film, bringing their contrasting worlds to life with stellar performances by secondary characters. Paul Rudd has never been better in his role as Alison's bitter brother-in-law, whose somewhat dysfunctional marriage to Alison's feisty but insecure sister unfolds in parallel to Alison and Ben's story. Meanwhile, Ben's home resembles a frat house, and his friends (Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, and Martin Starr), while hilarious, are hardly role models. KNOCKED UP will have audiences cracking up from start to finish, and it also deals with some serious issues about commitment, life choices, and becoming an adult. The film asks universal questions in a sweet and touching way, achieving a sad humor that distinguishes it from other films of its genre. [More]
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jason Segel, Jonah Hill, Martin Starr, Craig Robinson
Director: Judd Apatow
Director: Judd Apatow
Screenwriter: Judd Apatow
Producer: Judd Apatow, Shauna Robertson
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Knocked Up
Except for being a bit on the long side -- which you won‘t mind because you‘ll be having too much fun -- it‘s pretty close to perfect.
Judd Apatow is making the freshest, most honest mainstream comedies in Hollywood.
Apatow is clearly a romantic, even if there's a profane edge to his 'love conquers all' worldview. Other filmmakers embarking into the comedy minefield could learn a thing or two from him. He's two for two.
Writer/director Judd Apatow ("The 40 Year Old Virgin") shatters romantic comedy conventions to create a side-splitting movie hinged on fundamental differences between men and women.
(Knocked Up is) hilarious, heartfelt, endearing and just a wee bit evil in how it depicts the rigors of adult responsibility, and the inherent human desire to shirk same.
It's a sincere meditation on adulthood, accountability, and fidelity -- and, yeah, getting high.
Knocked Up feels very now. The banter is bruisingly funny, the characters brilliantly childish, the portrait of our culture’s narrowing gap between children and their elders hysterical -- in all senses.
Another helping of the combination of romantic sweetness and slob comedy that made The 40-Year-Old Virgin such a smash...the raunchiness too often overwhelms the charm.
Because its central character is a meticulously architected dude, Knocked Up is a contrived male fantasy.
Dabbles in the improbable loony male-driven fantasy of flabby slacker sex appeal, while taking pot shots at the snobbery of upwardly mobile gorgeous women who wouldn't give them a second look in actual life.
Judd Apatow's raunchy and realistic look at sex, marriage and responsible parenting is one of the most consistently funny movies of the year.
Relatability is certainly a key component of Knocked Up's inherent appeal.
A mega-laugh comedy about the messiness of change with lovable characters whose humor and flawed humanity make them very appealing.
You expect it to be crude, rude, profane and hilariously vulgar - and it doesn't disappoint.
Though some, including the filmmakers, might find this sort of material smart and real, others might consider it middlebrow and not particularly representative of the complex and interesting people they know, some of whom are even men.
What do I already know after just one screening? That this belongs on the short list of the best comedies of the last twenty years.
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