Judd Apatow continues to improve his distinct style with the most consistent comedy of the season

Rating: 7/10 (1 June 2007)

From the hilarious writer-director-oddball Judd Apatow, Knocked Up one-ups even his extremely well received 40 Year Old Virgin. And just like last year's funniest surprise hit, his latest release seems destined to repeat the same critically and commercially successful process. Apatow continues to triumph, like few working American filmmakers today, by merging vulgarity with sincerity into equally hilarious and heartfelt results. In detailing the warped and awkwardly circumstantial paining of Seth Rogen's quintessential slacker and Katherine Heigl's ambitious businesswoman (both casted well), Apatow's trademark bittersweet dynamics get to shine brighter even then anything we have previously seen.
What works so well for the film, besides it's constant and perceptive humor, is how well both sexes are covered in this gross-out comedy with heart. If The 40 Year Old Virgin was a great comedy with romantic intentions, Knocked Up is a romantic movie with comedic intentions. Despite his preoccupation with bodily gags and stereotypical stoners, Apatow has truly been refining the emotional content of his characters, coming up with two people who are a pleasure to invest into the relationship despite a plethora of disgusting toilet humor emanating from much of the dialog.
What results is a movie that functions nearly as well as an offbeat chick flick or the masterful comedy that it is. The screenplay may push a little too hard with crude sexual references at times, though it often compliments the heavier romantic qualities splendidly. Of course the plot will have it's fair share of unrealistic qualities (even if Apatow does vividly capture some very real qualities from the demographic he writes about he still struggles with the female psyche), and some may resent Apatow's continuous decision to load his last act up with a heavier dosage of drama then the overall tone would suggest, but line for line Knocked Up is surely the funniest script to emerge on the big screen this year, and this year's champion of the one-liner zing.