Seth Rogan - Man o' comedy 2007?

Not that I’m one to judge a book by its cover, but I hadn’t been planning to see either of his films this year, for circumstances admittedly not in Rogan’s control. Both of which suffered, first of all from those brain-achingly awful ad campaigns comprising of idiots coming out of the cinema and being asked their half-witted verdict, and secondly from being pilloried in the right-on press.

“In what alternate universe does she not give an abortion proper consideration�, wailed Libby Brooks on the heroine of Knocked Up, in a Guardian blog almost as worthless as this one, “it’s the longest pro-life propaganda movie ever to make it into the mainstreaaam!�

Superbad, too, got stick for its portrayal of high school students being grossly obsessed with sex and drink. Instead of what, exactly? Instead of what?

But, after catching them both this week, it was a surprise to find these films as canny as they were crass and as sweet and touching as they were bawdy, “adult� comedy. Clearly the work of a team with a big future in American film, both are crammed with rounded characters, a lot of heart, great casting (Arrested Development's Michael Cera, Katherine Heigl for example) and a true sense of cameraderie – with not an obligatory pie-boning to be found.

Abortion was mooted in Knocked Up as it happens, but considering if that had happened the film would have been over in minutes, I’m more than happy to abandon the Sisterhood on this one and give myself over to the wild and wacky world of the plot device.

John Patterson, also in the Guardian although clearly with a better grasp of these matters, wrote a couple of months ago: “Somewhere in the upper echelons of the Hollywood comedy scene, an older generation is nervously looking far below itself and seeing its own replacements.�

Then again perhaps I’m speaking too highly too fast – currently in production are two more vehicles for Rogan, Kung Fu Panda and Zack and Miri Make a Porno, neither of which sound as if they’ll be bothering the Academy any time soon. But today, he rocks.