Knocked Up (www.the-usher.com)

"I'm pregnant"

Alison Scott (Heigl) has just got her dream promotion at work and her sister Debbie (Mann) takes her out to celebrate. When the pair head to a club, Alison discovers that it is so busy that no one can get served at the bar until Ben (Rogen) helps her out. The two of them start talking and one or ten drinks later one thing leads to another. The next morning they go their separate ways but some weeks later Alison discovers she is pregnant and her and Ben's lives are about to change but is Ben ready for this?

After bringing us the smash hit 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin', comedy fans were waiting with baited breath for writer/director Judd Apatow's next movie but can 'Knocked Up' go to term?

With his motion picture directorial debut becoming a smash hit and also having produced Will Farrell's 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' and 'Talladega Nights: The Ballard of Ricky Bobby', Judd Apatow is becoming the new big name in comedy. Following on from these successes was always going to be difficult however, as anticipation for his second directorial effort would be much greater than the sleeper hit that was 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin'. The fantastic news is that 'Knocked Up' is just as good as his first, cementing his place as the best Hollywood filmmaker working in comedy at the moment.

The reason why 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin' was such a success with both male and female audiences was because Judd Apatow knows how to mix outrageous, laugh-out-loud comedy with touching, feel good romance. Mixed in with the foul language, sexual references and tomfoolery is a romantic storyline that forms the real base of the movie. This means that however outrageous the movie gets, there is a story that is the essence of the movie and one that will touch both male and female audiences.

For 'Knocked Up' we have the odd couple brought together by an expected pregnancy after a drunken one night stand. Alison is a successful and beautiful TV presenter who has just gotten her big break. Ben is an overweight, weed smoking slacker who is designing a website with his equally slacker buddies that reveals when female film stars appear naked in movies. They are complete opposites from completely different worlds but what they both have in common is that they are good people looking to do the right thing by each other. As they try to cement a relationship together, comedy ensues as both of them mix into each other's lives but the coming baby is what ties them together. While this might be a simple approach and one that has been done many a time before, it is Judd Apatow and his strong cast that make the movie so much more enjoyable.

Aside from the excellent script, it is the performances from the two leads and their supporting cast that makes 'Knocked Up' such a joy. Seth Rogen has made a name for himself in funny, supporting roles in movies like 'You, Me and Dupree' and of course 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin' but this is his first lead role and he pulls it off magnificently. As Ben, he creates a character that is both a slob and loveable at the same time. You can see why Alison would fall for him and this is the endearing skill of Rogen's performance. Katherine Heigl is probably best known for a role in the hit TV show 'Grey's Anatomy' and her career has been filled with more dramatic roles but she makes the transition to comedy with ease. As Alison, she is a beautiful, successful woman who hasn't really found the right man. Even though she is extremely gorgeous, you can still believe that she would give someone like Ben a chance, as her character comes across as a nice person with a look at me complex. There support is also first rate. Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Martin Starr and Jonah Hill play Ben's roommates and fellow stoners, living a life of watching movies for nude scenes, smoking weed and joking around. Each character brings their own comedy to the film and developed enough to makes them instantly likeable. Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd are also excellent as Alison's sister and brother-in-law. It is also great to see Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd recreate that comedic double act they shared in 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin', especially during the hilarious Las Vegas scenes.

'Knocked Up' is a hilarious romantic comedy with a heart and one that is destined to become a firm favourite. With excellent performances from the two leads and the supporting cast, a brilliant script that mixes the rude with a heart warming base, this is a comedy that will have you laughing out loud and feeling warm inside at the same time. While some of the jokes and set sequences may be a little too crude for some, this is a movie that you cannot help but enjoy and another overdue hit for filmmaker Judd Apatow.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is very good.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Feature Commentary with Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Bill Hader
The director, his star and the SNL (Saturday Night Live) impressionist provide a hilarious commentary track that is a must listen for fans of the film. With loads of behind the scenes gossip and stories from the shoot all with added impressions from Bill Hader, this is how a funny track should be done and proves again that Judd Apatow is becoming THE comedic filmmaker in Hollywood.

Deleted Scenes (19.03 mins)
Entitled 'Park Bench - Short', 'Martin gets hit by DVD', 'Guys talk with Ben - Jason', 'Gyno visit - Female doctor #1', 'Dinner with the kids', 'Vegas Black Jack - Angry', 'Casino dance club', 'Got to get a job', 'Ava and Alison', 'Baby Montage (Alternate ending - It's a boy', 'Bathroom fart', 'Pot Pie', 'Jonah - Brokeback Mountain' and 'Ben watches birth videos - Jonah', these deleted scenes suffer from the lack of an introduction or commentary to reveal why they were not used.

Extended/Alternate Scenes (8.31 mins)
Entitled 'Ryan Seacrest', 'Jonah and Martin's beard', 'Alison on the Red carpet' and 'Fatherly advice', these extended or alternative scenes are very fun to watch, highlighting the improvisational skills of the cast.

Line-o-rama (3.36 mins)
Watch the many improvised versions of lines in some of the funniest scenes of the movie.

Gag Reel (3.29 mins)
Watch the cast make a hash of their lines and have fun on set.

Roller Coaster Documentary (5.20 mins)
Director Judd Apatow and stars Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel and Martin Starr travel to Knott's Berry Farm amusement park to ride the coasters but someone is extremely scared and someone chickens out.

Directing the Director (7.42 mins)
Bennett Miller, the award-winning director of 'Capote' talks about assisting Judd Apatow, arguing with him and trying to take over.

Loudon Wainwright III - Live at McCabe's (3.48 mins)
Watch the soundtrack artist perform 'You can't fail now' live.

Topless Scene - Web Design Company (0.34 mins)
Seth Rogen performs his scene at his new job with a shirt

Disc 2

Deleted Scenes (30.35 mins)
Entitled 'Numb Vagina', 'Park Bench - Long', 'Guys talk to Ben', 'Gyno visits - Dr Kuni, Mall Dr, Female Dr #3', 'Vegas Strip Club - I miss Alison', 'Vagina burning', Vegas Pool - Website idea', 'Hospital waiting room', 'Intro - Shrooms', 'Night wake up', 'E! Girls - Ali is huge' and 'Ali talks to friends - Jay and Jodi' these deleted scenes suffer from the lack of an introduction or commentary to reveal why they were not used.

Extended/Alternate Scenes (29.07 mins)
Entitled 'Club table Alts - Guys in LA and Girls in LA', 'Morning After', 'Friends talk on the couch', 'Fantasy Baseball fight - angry', 'E! Office extended promotion', 'Ben calls Dr Howard's Kid' and 'Hospital waiting room - Jonah's panic' these extended or alternative scenes are very fun to watch, highlighting the improvisational skills of the cast.

Video Diaries (28.35 mins)
Writer/director Judd Apatow presents his own video diaries covering Day 1 - 56 of the shoot. These are of course very honest and very funny.

Kids on the Loose (5.37 mins)
Watch the outtakes with Judd Apatow's two daughters who star in the movie.

Beard-o-rama (4.03 mins)
Watch everyone go to town on Martin Starr's beard as he takes part in the Dirty Man contest.

Kuni Files (5.29 mins)
Director Judd Apatow, technical advisor Suzie Shelling and Dr Kuni himself Ken Jeong take you behind the scenes of his scene-stealing role.

Gummy: The 6th Room Mate (6.43 mins)
David Krumholtz talks about having pull out of the movie and then been told that he cannot come back.

Stripper Confidential (2.03 mins)
Director Judd Apatow takes you behind the scenes of the Las Vegas strip club scene and he seems awfully happy about it.

Finding Ben Stone (30.59 mins)
Director Judd Apatow takes you through his long and exhausting search for the actor to play the lead character Ben Stone. The mock-umentary reveals all of the A-List Hollywood actors that auditioned for the role and some now so famous ones. This is hilarious and a must watch for fans of some Hollywood's favourite young actors.

Kuni goes wild (5.53 mins)
Watch the full version of Dr Kuni's scene when he is called back into birth Ben and Alison's baby.

Loudon Wainwright III scoring session (4.48 mins)
The musician and actor talks about the score to the movie and playing a gyno in the film

First Sex on Camera (1.32 mins)
Jonah and Seth talk about having sex on camera

Topless Scene - Resturant (3.27 mins)
Watch Seth Rogen perform the famous resturant scene topless.

Raw Footage (18.14 mins)
Watch unedited footage from the geisha house and swingers scenes.

Katherine Heigl Audition (2.44 mins)
Watch the 'Grey's Anatomy' actress audition with Seth Rogen as they act out the baseball scene

OVERALL

The DVD treatment of 'Knocked Up' is superb. This two disc special edition is filled to the brim with hilarious bonus features that fans of the film will absolutely revel in. This is how a two disc DVD should be done and Judd Apatow sets a very high bar for comedy movies to follow. This is a must buy for all fans of the movie and one to discover for everyone else.

DVD

The 40 Year-Old Virgin

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2007