Knocked Up Review

I finally saw the much acclaimed comedy, Knocked Up, the other day. For a time, I felt I was the only Nebraskan not to have seen the film. I was slightly worried, due to all the hype surrounding it, especially from some people I personally know, that my expectation level would be too lofty and I'd be more apt to being disappointed. But, this wasn't the case.

While I'm not going to make the extreme claim that this is the best comedy of all-time as some like to do or that it's the best comedy of the past decade, I will say that from start to finish, there were a good chunk of laughs, which ultimately made the film enjoyable and buyable when it is released on DVD.

For some of the crude humor in the film, the storyline was actually somewhat decent, better than expected. I typically just go to a comedy for laughs. I don't go in expecting a solid story and excellent acting, such as the Oscar-award winning film As Good As It Gets. While Seth Rogen is no Jack Nicholson and from what we've seen thus far, Katherine Heigl is no Helen Hunt and the supporting actors were not as talented as Greg Kinnear or Cuba Gooding Jr., for a rather crude comedy, the acting and storyline were better than expected.

When comparing the directors past two films, I'd have to say that I enjoyed Knocked Up slightly more than his previous effort, The 40-Year Old Virgin. The storyline and dialogue were a bit more realistic. I laughed out loud more in The 40-Year Old Virgin, but I had more of a consistent chuckle going in Knocked Up. Steve Carrell was perhaps the more likable of the two lead characters when comparing he to Rogen, but for all of the pot smoking, lounging around, and indifference to most around him, there was a drawing quality about Rogen which made him easy to root for in the end (for what reason exactly, I don't quite know yet).

Knocked Up had a similar vibe to it as Wedding Crashers. Both films attempted to infiltrate good chunks of laughter and some romance. But, unlike Wedding Crashers, where the romance felt a bit forced and almost unnecessary, the romance in Knocked Up felt more genuine and necessary. I felt like I was watching one film, as opposed to two with Wedding Crashers.

While I feel that some may have reached a bit when claiming that this was the best comedy in a decade, I did find it amusing and in the end, it had a good heart to it. Recommended!

Overall film quality grade: 7/10 - Better than expected. The acting was average to slightly above average. The story, in the end, had a good heart to it and the movie had a good flow and rhythm to it.

Comedic grade: 8/10 - From start to finish, there were a good number of laughs. There was no moment where I laughed out loud, but several where I was on the verge of doing so.