Judd Apatow’s Knocked Up spin-off, This is 40, is set to hit theaters this week and for many it will be a welcomed return to the man who launched so many comedic careers. This is 40 reunites us with Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann), the ridiculous couple from Knocked Up who are now approaching their 40th birthdays, something one seems to be ready for and the other not so much. Age is a demon everyone wrestles with and this film chronicles the midlife family crisis as Pete and Deb question their marriage, careers, parenting skills and relationships with everyone around them.
Much like his prior films, Apatow can’t seem to decide what kind of film he really wants to make. He excels at comedy yet all of his recent films seem to have this unbalanced nature to them. This is 40 starts off strong, a film chock full of laughs and great gags but then once the film introduces the various conflicts that Pete and Deb must face, it eventually becomes a straight drama, much like Funny People. This indecision is something that’s bothered me but only because he adds a plethora of characters to the story resulting in additional scenes that drag the film on. Sure they provide some wonderful comedic relief, something I’m never against, but it can be distracting from the focal point of the film and it’s what eventually adds an extra 40 minutes to a movie that should never even be two hours, let alone more than, in the first place. I say all of this because if you go in expecting a straightforward comedy, you won’t get that. What you’ll get is an insightful film that dives straight into the core of midlife crises and the aging predicament that everyone faces at one point or another, but it’s a piece that has trouble deciding if it’s a relationship drama or comedy.
Looking past the balance, plot holes and duration issues, This is 40 is still a pretty entertaining picture. There are a lot of ridiculous scenes that are very Apatow in nature and Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann knock their roles out of the park. I truly I admire how far they are both willing to go to garner laughs, like filming a self hemorrhoid examinatio
n using a cell phone for example. Both deliver constant chuckles as does Jason Segel, Albert Brooks, Chris O’Dowd and even the sexy Megan Fox surprisingly, but the real scene stealer is Melissa McCarthy when she makes her brief appearances. I won’t spoil anything but imagine her character in Bridesmaids except as a pissed off mother trying to deal with really good liars in front of a school principal. It’s a hilarious scene and so much so that they use bloopers from it in the credits that’ll have you keeling over from laughter, so stick around when the movie ends.
Mr. Apatow has cornered himself with the types of films he’s made and unless he does something radically different, which I know he can do, he’ll find that his movies will constantly have an average to slightly above average reception when there is so much potential for being more than that. Overall, Judd Apatows latest is an entertaining affair at the movies but it isn’t everything you would have hoped and wished for, except Leslie Mann feeling up Megan Fox, it definitely has that and it is definitely wonderful (see above image).
Rating: The drama drags for a long time, but when it returns to its rightful comedic form you get some great and original laughs (6/10)
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