REEL CRITICS:Realistic and funny

“Knocked Up” is funny and crude, but also quite charming. Director-writer Judd Apatow (“The 40 Year Old Virgin”) seems to have the magic — and Midas — touch.

Leggy blond Alison (Katherine Heigl) is celebrating her promotion in a trendy bar. She chats up sloppy, guileless Ben (Seth Rogen) who can’t believe his luck at meeting such a babe. We are more surprised that the snooty doorman even let him in.

They say life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. Weeks later, Alison believes her plans for a career and her own place are going down the drain when she flunks every home pregnancy test she can lay her hands on.

Ben has no real plans beyond getting stoned with his absurdly adolescent roommates. When Alison calls him, he thinks it’s for a second date as his buddies listen in with orgiastic glee — “Dude, score!” Instead, she tells this man-child he’s going to be a daddy.

Ben’s willing to do the right thing; he just doesn’t know what that’s supposed to be.

“Knocked Up” makes apt observations about love, babies, and marriage and features many of the actors from “Virgin.” Leslie Mann (Mrs. Apatow in real life) is terrific as Alison’s uptight sister, with Paul Rudd once again golden as her husband.

Look for some fun celebrity cameos and Kristin Wiig’s hilarious turn as Alison’s passive-aggressive co-worker.

Costner, Hurt are outstanding in ‘Brooks’

Kevin Costner and William Hurt take a walk on the wild side in the most bizarre buddy movie you will ever see. They team up as two conflicted personalities inhabiting the same tortured mind and body of the prominent Oregon businessman “Mr. Brooks.” Outwardly successful and very normal, Earl Brooks has a secret hobby spurred on by his alter ego. He likes to kill people.

But Earl’s good side is ashamed of his evil internal partner. It seems like the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock teamed up with the spirit of Stephen King in this dark and strange psycho crime thriller. It defies Hollywood categories with a screenplay that will make you shudder, cringe and laugh in rapid succession.

Costner and Hurt give outstanding performances in this surreal story that combines family values and social satire with gruesome murders. Director Bruce Evans’ previous screenplay for “Stand By Me” (which he wrote with Raynold Gideon) offers clues to the unusual plot devices present in this film. Demi Moore is earnestly serious as the police detective pursuing the serial killer. There is some excellent acting in this effort. But it’s a twisted and disturbing take on modern life that is definitely not for everyone.