People joke around that I take my rating scale too seriously.  I really think a 5 BDK should be considered a high achievement.  Knocked Up is really the perfect film.  It will have you laughing, wanting to cry and shocked all at the same time.  When you see the film, you will know exactly what I mean when I say "shocked". 

Jude Apatow, the writer and director of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, is back to write and direct his follow-up film.  Well, he definitely has a lot to live up to, considering that The 40-Year-Old Virgin was one of the funniest films to come out in the past couple of years.  There has been a debate back and forth as to which film is better, Wedding Crashers or The 40-Year-Old Virgin.  I really would have to say that I go with Virgin because it kind of hit close to home the first time I saw the flick.  I really did not feel that Apatow would be able to top that, but boy was I completely wrong. 

Knocked Up stars Seth Rogen (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Anchorman), Paul Rudd (Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Katherine Heigl (hot blonde from “Grey’s Anatomy"), Leslie Mann (The 40-Yea-Old Virgin, Big Daddy) and Jonah Hill (Accepted).

The Plot: Knocked Up tells the story of every guy’s worst fear.  Ben, played by Seth Rogen, is your basic pot head.  He hangs out with his friends and they really have no jobs.  He and his friends are trying to start up a website called “Flesh of the Stars.”  The funny thing is that I am sitting here watching this movie and all I could think about was http://www.mrskin.com/, which is the exact same type of website that Ben and his friends are starting. Ben and his friends would sit around all day, smoke weed and look for nudity in films.  They would write down exactly when the nudity happened.  The point was for people to be able to access a website and find out exactly when their favorite actress is naked in a film. 

Ben and his buddies, which includes Jonah (played by Jonah Hill), go out to a bar one night.  Ben meets a woman there named Alison Stone, played by Katherine Heigl, and they hit it off.  They end up having a one night stand.  It turns out that Alison became pregnant from that night.  On their second date, Alison tells Ben that she is pregnant. 

Keep in mind that these two characters are the complete polar opposites.  Alison has a great career and Ben is a pot smoking loser who does not have a job.  They agree to keep the baby and the movie shows how awkward it is getting to know each other and preparing for this baby.  The comedy in the film is along the same EXACT lines as The 40-Year-Old-Virgin.  In fact, they even make some jokes that reference jokes made in that film.

The Review: Overall, Knocked Up is seriously the best comedy I have seen in years.  It is BETTER than The 40-Year-Old Virgin.  See, the major thing about Judd Apatow is that he knows how to make a GREAT comedy.  What I mean by that is that he actually makes a great movie that makes you laugh.  For example, you really would not call Van Wilder a good movie.  It made me laugh hysterically, but I wouldn’t say that it is a good movie in any regard. 

Knocked Up actually has really clever dialogue and characters that you care about.  Every single joke in the movie works and it is that really crude style that makes everyone laugh out loud. Paul Rudd, who plays Alison’s brother-in-law in the film, always does a great job.  Rudd’s and Rogen’s chemistry is perfect.  You have seen them together before.  Remember that scene in The 40-Year-Old-Virgin where the two characters went back and forth saying, “You know how I know you’re gay?,” well they are the same two actors. 

I wanted to point out something which I thought was really funny.  Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters) has a pretty small part in the film as Seth Rogen’s father.  I think this is some of the best casting I have ever seen for a father and son.  Their voices and looks are almost identical. 

The Verdict: This movie is EXTREMELY fun and will have you interested the entire time.  You will be laughing and caring for all of the characters.  I give this film 5 BDK’s because I feel that everyone should go see this right now.  It is the perfect movie for everyone, i.e. dates, friends, etc.  Go see this film now, hence the 5 BDK rating.