Doesn't live up to the massive hype but is still enjoyably fresh and funny despite the rather dodgy moral message under the surface

Rating: Null/10 (28 April 2008)

Alison Scott is a production assistant on E! Entertainment who finds herself offered a spot in front of the cameras. She goes out with her married sister to celebrate in a club and there she meets the friendly but terminally unemployed Ben Stone and his stoner friends. Drink + music = a one night stand where Ben clumsily misinterprets an instruction from Alison and has unprotected sex. The next morning sees Alison faced with a curly haired, flabby man washed up in her bed and a brief breakfast leaves her in no doubt that she can do much, much better. However two months later and Alison is throwing up much more than she used to and finding she is pregnant decides it only right to get in touch with the man totally unprepared for the news that he is to be a father.
Hearing about this at the time of release you would have thought that it was the second coming of the Messiah. I was in New York during its run in theatres there and could not avoid posters hailing it the film of the year and the hype continued when it arrived in the UK. Not really being into teen comedies, I sort of dismissed it and moved on. When it hit DVD I decided to give it a try and found something that is not totally worthy of the hype it received but certainly better than the crude teen sex comedy that I had the image of it being. What it actually is is a pretty natural and engaging comedy based around people who are, if not "real" then at least recognisable. The dialogue is quite snappy and the comedy mostly avoids being broad or crude and on the contrary manages to be really well observed at times (the rather bitter woman in Alison's manager's office being a favourite of me and my partner).
The characters do help and for some will be really recognisable. I don't really know people like any of them but the feelings and actions mostly feel genuine and real to me and I did care about them to sufficient extent that my interest was maintained even when laughs were not to be had for a bit. Speaking of genuine actions though, the one thing I would say that struck a sour note was the rather strange moral decisions taken where two people stumble into this relationship due to the child. I appreciate that it is not a subject for this film so much as a plot device to set up the story but it still didn't ring true to me and wasn't helped by seeing the topic being handled much better in Juno (where it was also not a big political message either). That said Apatow's script does bring out valid themes and it is these that see the film be convincing and feel quite real. Dissatisfaction in long-term relationships, fears, worries, the passing of youth etc are all there to be seen within the characters and, while not a searing comment, the film is smart and natural with it.
The cast mostly respond well to this although it is clear that the vast majority work best with the comedy material. Rogen is not totally up to the task of leading a film, but he is funny if nothing else. In the more demanding aspects of the role? Well, I'm not totally sure. Heigl is charming and beautiful but almost to the point where the central relationship is made less convincing. I would have preferred a less stunning actress in the role as it would have covered for the lack of doubt in her character and also been more interesting in regards Ben's choices. Anyway, she is quite amusing and she is more comfortable in the more dramatic moments in the film. Mann is OK but Rudd is better. The support cast of stoners etc are mostly funny but my favourite turn is from Wiig who is wonderfully bad at concealing her tired bitterness while also going along with the bosses to keep her job.
Overall then, Knocked Up is an enjoyable and fresh comedy that is funny while also having natural characters that I either cared about or recognised enough to be interested in. Not totally convinced by the fudged morality of the film or the way the central relationship goes but Apatow's script is funny and interesting enough to cover up for the weaknesses he has also created. Don't believe the hype but it is still fun.