Unplanned pregnancies or “pleasant surprises” are not uncommon in the U.S. So obviously taking the concept and turning it into a comedy was inevitable… And the recent movie, Knocked Up takes this example and creates an excellent example.

It starts out like every other typical storyline, the guy is a burnout who creates a website that tells people which movies and at what times in those movies they can find naked actresses… and the girl is an up and coming worker at E! TV. Guy goes to the bar and girl gets drunk with sister, sister leaves girl at the bar with guy, guy and girl hook up, and eight weeks later… “Shit, I’m pregnant!”

The movie does a great job showing the truth of beer goggles. Katherine Heigl is a beautiful blonde bombshell and Seth Rogen is a large chubby man with a Jewish fro. While poking fun at the idea of a hookup gone it portrays a great example of what happens in real life, especially in college. Many people wake up the next morning and would like to believe “if I don’t remember it, it never happened.” But pregnancy is not exactly one of those things that can happen.

Judd Apatow is the mastermind behind the movie. He is infamous for these indie-style comedies that take actors who actually emulate real people and make the stories more believable. Apatow created the TV sleeper hits Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, as well as the box-office hits, 40-Year-Old Virgin and Superbad. According to Newsweek movie critic, Apatow is “making the freshest, most honest mainstream comedies in Hollywood.”

Rottentomatoes.com rates this movie at 91% and I would have to completely agree. I remember seeing the movie in the theaters and not even knowing about it before, but after leaving everyone I talked to enjoy it. And now that it just came out on DVD I would still say that I completely enjoy it. It takes a subject that is somewhat controversial and turns it into a two-hour laugh-fest. Overall if I had to give the movie a grade I’d give it an A.

Nothing's gonna change my world...

Across the Universe at face-value is an ambitious project… Taking songs that were popular in the 1960s and making them hits today is not uncommon. But taking songs that defined a generation and turning them into a story that does the same certainly is. And at the same time, this has to be something fresh and original.

I remember seeing the preview back in March for Across the Universe and immediately thought that it would be something I would have to see. I would definitely consider myself a fan of the Beatles music and think that a lot of their stuff is timeless. So when it finally came time for the movie to be out in the theatres I grabbed my two biggest Beatle-fanatic friends and dragged them along for the show.

According to RottenTomatoes.com, the movie has been considered a hit by 51% of reviewers from periodicals across the country. However, other similar movie sites like moviefone.com and imdb.com show a different view from people that have seen the movie. The majority appeared to enjoy their experience.

From my own experience I would most certainly agree… From opening to end the movie was both visually and musically appealing. The special effects used were definitely visually stimulating and added to the idea that the characters in the movie are living in the 1960s during a time of peace, love, and experimentation… it was a real-life fantasia.

The entire cast of characters were likeable in the film, even the ones who had only minor roles and the best part being that they’re for the most part unknown. There was a character to represent every kind of person from that era and they were easy to relate with. On top of it, they were talented, and knowing that they did 90% of their musical performances live is quite impressive.

Overall, the movie not only captured a generation in the sense that it showed how people thought and believed but it also had countless historical references. I remember watching Forrest Gump in my high school US History class and our assignment was to write down the cultural references for each decade. I feel like a teacher talking about the 1960s could do something similar with Across the Universe.

Infamous film critic Roger Ebert posts on his website that one reason why he likes the movie is that it isn’t dated. He points out, “Most miraculous of all, it's not dated; the stories could be happening now, and in fact, they are.” It’s interesting to see a movie that deals with college, immigration, racial tension, war, and coming of age all wrapped into one. It might be set in the 1960s but there are definitely college students still coming to terms with their situation, immigration issues with people trying to get in and stay in, racial tension especially with the most recent “Jena-6”, war with the “war” on terror, and people are still coming of age and realizing that becoming an adult is completely different than they had previously thought.

Overall, I was impressed with the filmmaker’s ability to make a movie that kept my attention for an entire two hours without thinking, “oh when is this going to end?” And I could tell from the other people in the theater that they enjoyed it too… almost everyone stuck around through the entire credits.