Juno is directed by Jason Reitman, and stars Ellen Page (X-Men: The Last Stand), Michael Cera (Superbad), Jason Bateman (The Kingdom), Jennifer Garner (Daredevil), and J. K. Simmons (Spider-Man series.) The musical score is composed by Mateo Messina. ***

Juno is the story of a teenage girl who, after a fling brought on by her sexual curiosity, ends up pregnant. After considering an abortion, her emotions get the better of her and she opts to have the baby, and let it be adopted by a couple who have been unsuccessfully attempting to have a child. But the pregnant life isn't an easy one, as she quickly discovers - and things take a turn for the worst when the potential baby adoption parents have marital difficulties. ***

This is one of those movies that came out of nowhere…. And almost instantly, it was received with overwhelmingly positive reviews. It won a number of awards, and Roger Ebert even declared it the best movie of 2007! Does the movie live up to this reputation that has so quickly been built around it? ***

The movie may be a tad overrated, but it's certainly good enough to recommend. The movie always feels authentic and emotional - never raunchy or over-the-top, the cast members are all excellent, and the direction throughout is solid. The end result is a movie that perfectly balances comedy and drama. For the most part it lives up to the steadily growing reputation it has built. ***

Where the movie succeeds finest is its star. Ellen Page has been in a number of films before this one, often in supporting roles. Here she takes the lead role, and fills it beautifully. Her character has a razor-sharp wit that will get more than a few laughs out of the viewer, but she always feels authentic too, and you'll sympathize with her situation throughout the movie. I can confidently say that Page has a huge acting career ahead of her. The supporting cast is also impressive, featuring J. K. Simmons as the title character's father, Michael Cera as the boy with whom she had the fling that caused her pregnancy, and Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman as the potential adoptive parents of the baby. ***

As a whole, the movie has a more authentic, realistic feel to it than most movies of its kind. The experience is never over-the-top, nor is it ever a raunch-fest, despite the theme being a teen pregnancy. You'll feel for the characters and enjoy the story all the way through - it's a comedy, but it's got a heart too. How many movies with this subject can you say THAT about? ***

Ultimately, Juno is a very good movie, and it's good to see that it's catching on and getting a positive reception. Well worth checking out, this is one of the best movies that hit theaters last year. ---

Image And Sound:

My review is based on a screener disc that has a “20th Century Fox Home Entertainment” watermark pop up periodically during the film. So naturally this doesn't reflect the image quality of the actual DVD release.. ---

The DVD, while single-disc, does feature quite a few pieces of bonus material. There are a number of deleted scenes featured on the disc, and while rightfully cut out of the final version of the movie to keep it from exceeding the hundred-minute mark, they're well worth watching if you enjoyed the presentation. A gag reel and gag take are included, as well as some screen tests, for those of you audiences who are into that sort of thing - they essentially deliver what they promise. But the main highlights on the disc come in the form of the behind-the-scenes featurettes, and the writer/director commentary track. It's great to get the cast and crew's perspective on what went on during the making of this little gem. ***

Additionally, FOX is releasing a two-disc version of the movie, but the second disc is just a “digital copy” of the movie you can upload to an iPod through iTunes on your computer - this seems to be becoming a regular kind of release for FOX these days. ---

Final Words: