Bovie Movie

Writer/director Judd Apatow follows up his hit “slacker” comedy The 40 Year Old Virgin with another refreshingly bold entry in a genre formerly mired in facile, post-Farrelly brothers gross-out. Pudgy, curly-haired Seth Rogen (a charismatic supporting player in Virgin) plays a harmless pothead who impregnates Katherine Heigl’s media career girl during a drunken one-night stand. Prompted by the impending birth to give the relationship a go, our odd couple learn lessons about responsibility and life in general, but to hilarious rather than schmaltzy effect. Married-with-kids Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann (also Virgin alumni) are the foils for the younger pair, and Rogen’s buddies, led by Jonah Hill, the geek chorus. Thanks to quality, near-the-knuckle repartee and believable chemistry between Rogen and Grey’s Anatomy star Heigl (Apatow can certainly write for women), Knocked Up proves that hit comedy doesn’t have to dumb down for its demographic. 

Jim Carrey consolidated his “Ace Ventura” position as America’s most successful comedian with this stunning tribute to the zany style of Tex Avery and other Warner Bros animators from the golden age of cartoons. Amazing computer-generated special effects drive this slick showcase for Carrey’s explosively unpredictable talents, as he plays a mild-mannered banker who turns into a wild and crazy superhero when he finds a magical ancient mask. Highlights include the Bugs Bunny-style Cuban Pete routine, Carrey’s pet dog donning the mask and gorgeous Cameron Diaz as the star’s love interest. But mainly it’s an excuse for Carrey to move with whirlwind speed, pop his eyeballs and swap parts of his anatomy for the cartoon equivalents in hysterically funny and tremendously imaginative ways.