Blast from the Past Movie Reviews

Directed by Judd Apatow
129 mins

A few years ago, The 40 Year Old Virgin broke through a strong barrier and proved that an adult-rated comedy can make serious moolah. Produced for very little money, the movie made Steve Carell a huge star (and a very rich man). It showcased some excellent comedy writing that mixed sex, drugs and laughs with – gasp – some real heart and emotion.

Writer/Director Judd Apatow followed up his first hit with Knocked Up, and again covered something that gets many people in a twist – unmarried sex and pregnancy. If you haven’t yet seen this comedy gem, you’ve missed out.

Knocked Up is the story of Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl from TV hit Grey’s Anatomy) who, out celebrating her promotion at work, runs into shlumpy, curly-haired Ben Stone (Seth Rogen). Despite being different in every conceivable way, the drink does the talking for both of them and whammo!

After an awkward breakfast “the morning after” Alison learns the truth about Ben. He is broke, unemployed and lives with a wild bunch of stoner friends whose goal in life is to set up a movie porn website. In contrast, Alison is a career girl who lives in the big, white picket-fenced guest house owned by her married sister Debbie (Leslie Mann), husband Pete (Paul Rudd) and their 2 children. The mismatched not-so-much a couple shake hands and say, “Thanks for the uh, memories,” thinking they’ll probably never meet again.

As luck would have it, Alison soon starts feeling a bit sick. Could it be morning sickness? No, she can’t be…oh yes, she can! So, she makes the dreaded phone call to her “one-night stand.” This catapults Ben and Alison a very rocky road. Can they make a relationship work? What will life be like as mom and dad?

The film is a mix of serious and silly. One of my favorite comedy scenes comes midway through Pete and Ben go to Vegas on a mushroom “trip.” More great humor moments involve all scenes with Ben and his mates (played by Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill and Martin Starr).

As much as the film succeeds in story and humor, it fall flat in a very important area – chemistry between the leads. I didn’t buy that Ben and Alison would ever truly get together – or should get. Then, the sub-plot involving Debbie and Pete’s marriage issues never really paid off, and distracted us from Ben and Alison’s story.

So, what’s the reason the subplot took up so much screen time? The actress who played Debbie is director Apatow’s wife (and his children played the kids). I guess it was hard for him to cut out his own family. Overall though, there are more than enough laughs throughout to keep you happy, and just enough moments to make you think a little too. Knocked Up is a great blast from the past home video find and a good date movie.

To contact James Bartlett email: jbartlett2000@gmail.com
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