Knocked Up...and Up...and Up

I finally worked up the courage last Friday to see Knocked Up: the critically acclaimed new comedy from the same Judd Apatow who brought us The 40 Year Old Virgin and Freaks and Geeks. For those who have never seen the ingenious character development, mature comedy, and heartwarming performances of Freaks and Geeks, I suggest you NetFlix the hell out of it (It also jumpstarted the career of Spider-Man's James Franco). . For now, let's ignore your shortcomings and discuss Knocked Up.

This film is almost oversaturated with simple- but clever - jokes and pranks that could be developed by a group of friends and a case of beer. Example: the five friends in the movie decide to start a website whose purpose is to notify its visitors how long into certain movies the attractive women take their clothes off. Enough said about that. The film's premise is 40 Year Old Virgin simple: a slovenly guy one-night-stands an attractive woman into pregnancy. The plot is predictable enough not to mention, but honest characters and performances successfully project the anxiety, desperation, and consequences that an unplanned pregnancy can bring to a couple not comparable to those of Dawson's Creek or Beverly Hills 90210.

I will not quote any jokes heard in this movie, because that's basically what the dialogue consists of. The producers probably threw some great friends into a room with beer and marijuana and let them improvise at least 2/3 of this movie, keeping it honest and letting the audience intimately experience the characters. This kind of comedy is what moviegoers deserve after enduring such crap as Deuce Bigalow, Dodgeball, or any Will Ferrel Comedy (minus Stranger than Fiction). Those movies are good for what they are: retarded. I laughed during them, but felt dumber for having done so. The jokes are empty cans and are only funny because they're told through one-dimensional characters and one-dimensional actors like Will Ferrel. Saturday Night Live was great and I'll always ask for more cowbell, but Will, stop making movies about over-the-top buffoons, or soon people won't be able to tell you apart from Ben Stiller.

Seriously, if you and friends wanna get hammered and enjoy something as equally blitzed, Will Ferrel and Ben Stiller are for you, but if you're looking for comedy based in realism and sanity, get Knocked Up. . . whores. . .