Judd Apatow is such a trustworthy comedy director. His films are rarely brilliant, but they are never bad. You know the sort of humour to expect and even the actors to expect, and its this level of certainty that makes me a sucker for an Apatow film.
All of this is true for This is 40. The cast is spot on. Paul Rudd is a brilliant comedic actor as is Leslie Mann. The chemistry and partnering between them is so fun to watch. Then there's the supporting cast of Jason Segal, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd etc. The film is crammed full of terrific leads and superb cameos.
The plot is perfectly good, setting up a good variety of comedic scenarios. I do think it is a tad long for a comedy at 140 minutes, and the material gets pretty thin by the end, but this film isn't just about the comedy. There's a nice message and story in here about growing older as a couple and how marriages evolve which is well explored.
Regarding the comedy, this isn't one of Apatow's funniest. There are plenty of good moments and some nice one liners, but as an overarching story and throughout the film it didn't have me constantly laughing.
Ultimately if you are an Apatow fan, particularly if you liked Knocked Up, this film will be sure to entertain you, as it matches up pretty well to all of his other films in both style and quality.
All of this is true for This is 40. The cast is spot on. Paul Rudd is a brilliant comedic actor as is Leslie Mann. The chemistry and partnering between them is so fun to watch. Then there's the supporting cast of Jason Segal, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd etc. The film is crammed full of terrific leads and superb cameos.
The plot is perfectly good, setting up a good variety of comedic scenarios. I do think it is a tad long for a comedy at 140 minutes, and the material gets pretty thin by the end, but this film isn't just about the comedy. There's a nice message and story in here about growing older as a couple and how marriages evolve which is well explored.
Regarding the comedy, this isn't one of Apatow's funniest. There are plenty of good moments and some nice one liners, but as an overarching story and throughout the film it didn't have me constantly laughing.
Ultimately if you are an Apatow fan, particularly if you liked Knocked Up, this film will be sure to entertain you, as it matches up pretty well to all of his other films in both style and quality.