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Knocked Up (2007)

Director: Judd Apatow

Time Out rating

Average user rating

57 reviews

Synopsis

The director of The 40-Year Old Virgin takes on parenthood.

Movie review

From Time Out London

‘Oh, baby, I like it raw,’ Ol’ Dirty Bastard sings over the opening credits of ‘Knocked Up’. Well, who doesn’t? And so, when slacker Ben (Seth Rogen) thinks Alison (Katherine Heigl), the hot aspiring TV presenter he’s somehow picked up at a club, tells him not to bother with a condom, he doesn’t. The results of this sozzled cock-up are an unwelcome pregnancy and the year’s best comedy; one that confirms the arrival of an extended group of talent that looks set to take the studio comedy crown from the likes of Ferrell, Stiller and Carrey, and deserves to.

Like Judd Apatow’s directorial debut, ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’, ‘Knocked Up’ takes a subject ripe for bawdy knockabout, delivers that with aplomb – here we get top gags about sneaking a peek at the gynaecologist’s, sex during pregnancy and crowning – but also offers a raft of nuanced, credible and moving relationships between a group of sympathetic, imperfect characters. Here we get Ben’s stoner roommates, whose pastimes include working on a celebrity skin website and not shaving for a year, and Alison’s sister, Debbie (Leslie Mann), whose marriage to Pete (Paul Rudd) offers salutary lessons on the ups and downs of shotgun matrimony a decade on.

Long rehearsals and plentiful improvisation are the trademarks of Apatow’s approach, and his well-established ensemble delivers not only killer laughs but also a palpable sense of affection; the family feel is enhanced by the fact that Mann is Apatow’s wife and Debbie’s kids their own. Both up-to-the-minute pop culture and Ben’s Jewishness are also disarmingly mined to impressive effect, and Rudd’s De Niro impression is an absolute hoot.

Author: Ben Walters 2007-08-20 16:35:49

Time Out London Issue 1931: August 22-28 2007

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User reviews of this film

raq said...

Posted on Sep 20 2007 20:26 da film is so good must seee itsd exxiting at every bit i mean every bit

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sharon said...

Posted on Sep 20 2007 12:39 best comedy ive seen in years absolutely brill laughed all the way through,not just for kids im 48 and i loved it

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Kerry-Ann said...

Posted on Sep 19 2007 10:36 Totally fab really funny. Much better han 40 year old virgin.

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alex said...

Posted on Sep 16 2007 21:47 best film i have seen in ages it was so funny made me crack up laughing never laughed so much at a film a must see film

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Tracy said...

Posted on Sep 16 2007 20:37 Awful! It was crude and just not funny at all. Worst film I ve seen in ages.

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emem said...

Posted on Sep 15 2007 16:23 Fab
Never laughed so much at a film! Better than 40 year old virgin!
Not to be missed!

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fatmike said...

Posted on Sep 14 2007 22:55 this was a dreadful crude film,i really hated it

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cdrom said...

Posted on Sep 14 2007 19:20 im not one for comedys and this one is no diffirent.never laughed once.boring

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Bea said...

Posted on Sep 13 2007 11:49 Boring! The majority of the funny bits were in the film trailer! A shame as it could have been a really funny film

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steve said...

Posted on Sep 11 2007 17:59 Abominable American gross-out tripe.

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ha aha said...

Posted on Sep 10 2007 18:39 no i love the actors, funyy heartwarming!

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mel said...

Posted on Sep 10 2007 12:35 It was not funny at all ...it was a waste of time and money.

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Just me said...

Posted on Sep 10 2007 11:59 A group of us went to see this and walked out in the middle of the film. It was not funny at all :o(

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muz said...

Posted on Sep 10 2007 09:29 so funny. going to see it again and again. it is NOTlike an other american film and it certainly is not insulting to anyones intelligence. shut up Barry and lighten up. best film i have seen in sooooooooooo long.

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Barry Norman said...

Posted on Sep 09 2007 10:06 Walked out of this film. Its the same as all other American comedy films. Written by someone who mistook comedy for just being crude. If you can count to 10 you will find this film insulting to your intelligence. Story was so obvious must of been written by a child.

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