Guaranteed Laughs at "Knocked Up"

Last night I went to see "Knocked Up", the new comedy that hit theatres a few weeks ago, from the makers of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin".

For those of you who have already seen it, you know that "Knocked Up" is worth the price of admission. It's even worth the extra $12 for popcorn & a drink. I absolutely loved it. I can't remember the last time I laughed that hard during a movie.

Here's the premise: Alison is a beautiful, sophisticated woman who crosses paths with the stoner goof-ball Ben at a club one night, and - badda-bing badda-bang - they get drunk and have sex. The next morning, she wakes up to find his bare ass in her bed, and she realizes she made a big mistake. 8 weeks later, when she starts puking all over the set at her job on E! News, she realizes she made an even bigger mistake. So she sits down with Ben over dinner to tell him the news, and then they decide to make a go of it, at least for the baby's sake.

The movie follows Ben & Alison's relationship throughout her entire pregnancy, right up to the day the baby is born. They have their ups and downs, as Ben tries to fit in with Alison and her sister's family, while she adjusts to the wacky lifestyle that Ben leads with his off-beat roommates.

The thing about the movie is that everything seemed so realistic. It was so relatable. You could imagine these people being your friends, and at times it didn't seem like they were even acting. Katherine Heigl (of Grey's Anatomy fame) did such a good job in the role of Alison. She was so believable as the young woman who is hit with an unexpected pregnancy thanks to an unlikely partner - from fighting tears as she grapples to deal with having Ben's baby, to the hormonal outrage she experiences as they have a blow-up in the doctor's office, right down to the delivery, when she's screaming for drugs after initially deciding to go all-natural.

As for Ben - well, I think everyone knows someone like him. Played by Seth Rogan, he's big and furry and a total slacker who lives with his friends and has absolutely no money and very little ambition, but for some reason, he's got this charm and wit that make him seem adorable. Still, not exactly the kind of guy you want to raise a baby with. But Alison really makes an effort, and eventually she falls in love with him, but she has to decide if love is enough for the the two of them.

Of course, all kinds of hilarity ensues, especially with Ben's friends who are trying to launch a website that gives you exact times when there will be female nudity in a movie. And with Alison's sister's husband, Pete, who gets along great with Ben. (Big thumbs up to Paul Rudd who plays Pete - Rudd doesn't get enough recognition as an actor, and he's demonstrated his comedy chops as Phoebe's husband in the last season or so of Friends, and also in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin". I think he's awesome.) I also give full marks to the two kids who played Alison's nieces - they got some big laughs, and they were just genuine cute little girls who just said things that any kid would say.

There are too many favourite scenes to mention - but I do recommend you go see it if you haven't already. It was funnier than "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", and I guarantee you'll feel a connection with these characters, and you'll split a gut laughing along the way!