Knocked Up (2007), Blu-ray
Starring: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel
Director: Judd Apatow
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment 61105462
Video: 1.85:1 widescreen, 1080p HD
Audio: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, French DD 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1, English DD 2.0
Extras: Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Outtakes, Auditions, Video Diaries, U-Control PIP functions
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Length: 133 minutes
Rating: ****
Knocked Up comes from writer/director Judd Apatow, who also gave us The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and there’s even some overlap of actors from that uber-hilarious film; both Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd have meaty roles here. And the two movies share a lot thematically; Knocked Up is every bit as irreverent and sexually over-the-top as its predecessor, but its baseline story is filled with individuals learning to deal with harsh realities and having to make difficult choices, as well as taking responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions. A thinly veiled morality tale, for sure; especially when you consider that the movie proffers that: 1) not only would a total hottie like Alison (played by Katherine Heigl) actually sleep with a total loser like Ben (Seth Rogen), but that she would then 2) actually consider marrying the man? Regardless of how implausible it all seems, the movie is filled with lots of huge laughs, and I (quite surprisingly) actually found it to be quite charming as well!
The action surrounds overweight, beer-swilling, total slacker Ben (Rogen), who, with a handful of low-life buddies is managing an internet porn website. Alison (Heigl) is a fast-track career woman, who seems to have the total package of looks and brains, and has just landed a swanky job with the E! network. On a celebratory drunken night out, she somehow hooks up with loser Ben, and – surprise – ends up pregnant following the one night stand. Of course, from that point on, both Ben and Alison have some really tough choices to make, made even more complex by the interaction of their respective families and friends. And we’re asked to totally suspend disbelief here – would a totally together hottie like Alison even consider attempting to reform (much less marry) a total and utter loser like Ben, even though he’s the father of her child? And can Ben pull himself away from his porn-king delusions long enough to face the gravity and reality of his situation? While the viewpoint offered here by writer/director Apatow is definitely from the male perspective, the hilarity of the writing and superb acting keep the laughs coming, and a judicious hand from Apatow keeps the comedy from veering too far over the edge.
Compared to The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up looks really good on Blu-ray. The transfer is pristine and exceptionally clean, with none of the dirt and speckles that plagued its sister film. Color and contrast are also superbly rendered, and the overall image is fairly detailed – once again, in very sharp contrast to the aforementioned Virgin. It just amazes me that two films from the same studio and production team, and only a couple of years apart, can look so very different on the big screen. I guess that after the success of Virgin, Knocked Up was given a bigger budget, and it shows here in the very good transfer. The audio soundtrack is also very good; the DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 track makes excellent use of the surrounds, and the music choices sound particularly good and impressively immersive. The Blu-ray also boasts an impressive array of bonus materials, and sports Universal’s Profile 1.1 PIP feature, “U-Control,” which actually allows the user to access a pretty substantial selection of extras (especially compared to Virgin’s lackluster U-Control offering).
Overall, I found this Blu-ray offering to be quite entertaining, and while it teeters constantly on the brink of being overcome by sexist, frat-boy hijinks, the romantic comedy at its core always prevails. True fans and newcomers alike will be hard pressed to find a more complete package than is offered here. Highly recommended!
— Tom Gibbs
