Knocked Up vs. The 40 Year-Old Virgin

Judd Apatow can do no wrong. We love him. We love Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, The 40 Year-Old Virgin, and his latest, Knocked Up. Apatow's empathy for his characters, his ear for dialogue, his ability to write believable female characters, and his refusal to cast big-name stars just to sell his work amazes us. That said, we're a little worried that Knocked Up may be getting more praise than it deserves. Its current Metacritic rating is 85, which translates to universal acclaim, and it opened to $29 million at the box office. The 40 Year-Old Virgin, on the other hand, carries a Metacritic rating of 73 and did $21 million in its first weekend.

Naturally, one would assume that Knocked Up is the better crafted, more successful picture. Only it's not. It's a fine film, by all standards, and will most likely end up being the funniest studio release of the year. But it's not on the same level of The 40 Year-Old Virgin. Why not? Let us count the ways.

1. The 40 Year-Old Virgin is more realistic
- It's conceivable that a 40 year-old stock room manager with a traumatic intimacy track could be a virgin.
- We buy that a single, middle-aged mother of three would be intrigued by a good-natured, genuinely caring, potential father figure - even if he does ride a bike.
- It's hard to believe that a pudgy stoner in his early-20s, no matter how witty or well-intentioned, would be an acceptable life-partner for a beautiful, career-oriented blonde.
- We don't see how the prospect of an abortion would be so easily discounted by two people who are obviously in no position to raise a child

2. The 40 Year-Old Virgin's characters are more likable
- The male protagonist in Virgin may be boring, but you instantly root for him. The male protagonist in Knocked Up requires a third-act life reversal to earn the audience's sympathy.
- The female protagonist in Virgin has had a hard life, but she's doing the best she can in an impossible situation. The female protagonist in Knocked Up seems nice enough, but we know practically nothing about her prior to her child's conception.
- The "buddies" who populate Virgin are the grown-up versions of the "buddies" in Knocked Up. They are instantly more sympathetic because they are older, have jobs, have/had real relationships with others, and perhaps had dreams at one point in time.

3. The beard jokes get old
- By the time the group of stones is situated in the waiting room at the end of Knocked Up, we've heard nearly every variation on the beard joke imaginable, and "late John Lennon" just falls flat.

4. The 40 Year-Old Virgin's running time is justifiable
- In Virgin, we spend the first half-hour just getting to know our characters, slowly building to the point of "love interest" introduction. By time the climax rolls around, we're ready for it, but haven't been waiting for it.
- In Knocked Up, we know how it's going to end - the baby's going to be born. The subplot involving the sister's troubled marriage is funny and human, but not enough to support the "A" story for two-plus hours.

5. The jokes are deeper, richer, and more rewarding the second time around
- Virgin was that rare comedy experience that required multiple viewings to appreciate the subtlety and nuance of the laughs at hand. Each time we see it on cable, we stop, even though we have the DVD.
- Knocked Up (we've already seen it twice), is just as funny the second time as the first, which is impressive enough in itself. But you don't pick up on anything you missed during the initial viewing.

All of this is bullshit nitpicking, of course, but we've just been stunned by the critical masturbation we've been reading the past few weeks. What does it mean? Comedy's in trouble and we're desperate for it. Knocked Up is the perfect antidote, but let's not "get out the anoiting oils" just yet.