Offspring from ‘Knocked Up’ as good as its parents
4.5 out 5 stars
“Knocked Up: Unrated Two-Disc Collector’s Edition”
Universal
If fan appreciation is measured in terms of DVD release content, Judd Apatow is the people’s champion. Like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” before it, Apatow’s second feature is offered as part of a loaded double-disc set that rivals any DVD release this year.
The unrated cut of “Knocked Up” is basically the same movie you saw in theatres last spring, but merged with a few extended and deleted scenes. That is to say, it’s arguably the best, most polished comedy in years.
The vast majority of the deleted and extended scenes are not synched in with the rest of the film, but span the two discs. Also included are 22 on-set video diaries from Apatow, a couple mockumentaries about the film’s production, more than 10 other featurettes, a full-length commentary and a hidden “you know how I know you’re gay”-off between Seth Rogen (“Superbad”) and Paul Rudd (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) recalling their “40-Year-Old Virgin” days.
And in the age of double-dip DVDs and special edition releases months after the initial DVD launch, it’s refreshing to see a feature-packed set hit the market right away. Apatow knows the 20-something slacker demographic better than any other filmmaker at work today: He makes movies about them, and he makes DVDs for them.
MICHAEL PASSMAN