Knocked Up

I wasn't expecting much when I heard about this film but I was pleasantly surprised when "Knocked Up" turned out to actually be a sweet romantic comedy that contains many "laugh out loud" moments. As with his earlier film, "40 Year Old Virgin", writer-director Judd Apatow has a great ability to mix sophomoric humor with tender moments to create an engaging comedy.

The premise of the stoned slacker winning the love of the beautiful, successful girl strains credibility but Seth Rogan's "Ben Stone" is such a lovable loser that you begin to really root for him. Katherine Heigl doesn't stray that far from her TV character, "Izzy Stevens", but does show she can hold her own on the "big" screen too.

Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd co-star as Ms. Heigl's sister and her husband and they almost steal the film. Mr. Rogan's slacker buddies are all humorous in their own way but a bit underdeveloped as full characters themselves.

"Knocked Up" ends up a pleasant surprise. Much like the results of the title. Be warned, however, there is some strong language and a graphic birthing scene.