Apatow delivers yet again with the touching hilarity of 'Knocked Up'

Seth Rogen, fresh from "The 40 Year Old Virgin," turns in a great performance as lovable stoner Ben.

**** out of *****

In the last few years, comedy, much like the horror genre, has pandered heavily to the PG-13 crowd. The teenage market is, without a doubt, the most sought after in Hollywood, and plenty of solid comedies suffer for it. “The 40 Year Old Virgin” was a breath of fresh air on the comedy scene, and director Judd Apatow, whose genius “Freaks and Geeks” might have been the greatest show to only last one season, has done it again with one of the smartest, most poignant, absolute funniest comedies I’ve seen in a decade.

It’s a film called “Knocked Up,” and it might just be the return of the smart comedy.

Seth Rogen of “Freaks and Geeks” stars as Ben Stone, a portly yet loveable slacker who gets lucky one fateful night with a beautiful, successful entertainment reporter named Allison Scott (Katherine Heigl). The two part ways the next morning thinking nothing of it, but Allison receives a not-so-pleasant surprise eight weeks later when the morning sickness kicks in. She stocks up on home pregnancy tests and, sure enough, she’s got a bun in the oven. The film follows the uneasy couple through their nine months, with Allison coming to terms with her newfound love and Ben attempting to change his slacker ways for the better.

The cast is just fantastic, sporting a slew of “Freaks and Geeks” alumni, frat-pack regulars and several old-school comedic titans (Harold Ramis, for one). Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann create a further dynamic for the film, starring as a troubled married couple who draw closer in the wake of the pregnancy.

The film is both raucously hilarious and authentically touching. Apatow has this uncanny ability to seamlessly blend delightful moments of genuine poignancy with the signature hilarity of frat-pack comedies, resulting in a truly enjoyable movie experience that leaves you with a broad smile and a cheerful outlook.

It’s sweet, it’s charming and it’s the downright funniest film I’ve seen this year. “Knocked Up” does it right on all fronts, managing to be both funny and endearing in any given moment of its runtime. A might long, yes – but I enjoyed the hell out of every minute of this genius comedic treat. See this movie immediately.