THIS IS 40
R
134 Minutes
Director: Judd Apatow
Writer: Judd Apatow
Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow
Paul Rudd--Pete
Leslie Mann--Debbie
Maude Apatow--Sadie
Iris Apatow--Charlotte
John Lithgow--Oliver
Megan Fox--Desi
Albert Brooks--Larry
I've always given Judd Apatow a free pass because I love FREAKS AND GEEKS (1999) so much. But not all his projects of been so excellent. Still, to his credit, he hasn't had any epic, Adam Sandler-scale failures, thus far.
THIS IS 40 picks up where KNOCKED UP left off. Except, the main character, Seth Rogen, isn't around. I get the feeling that Seth was probably in the first draft of the screenplay, in some capacity, but couldn't appear in it because he was doing that other 'comedy' with 'Babs'. It's frustrating, I'm curious and I'd like a little closure. How did it all worked for those two crazy kids, and their love child? And what about that pornographic website start-up? It was supposed to make enough income to pay for the kid's future ivy league education.
Lesley Mann is the wife of Judd Apatow. So it's merely coincidental, that she and her two daughters star in the movie he directed. Oh, man, I wish there was an emoticon for sarcasm. This is the worst case of nepotism since the Wayans family debacle on IN LIVING COLOR. But in reality, the Apatow clan functions exceptionally well, as both a fictional and a real family. It certainly made for a better, more authentic movie.
Debbie's father is played by John Lithgow. He's one of the more fascinating characters in the story. There's a side to this actor I've never noticed. Because of his role on CLIFFHANGER, and (1993) THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN; I'm used to John Lithgow acting all flamboyant, and animated. Even when he played that psychopath on DEXTER; the character was a low-key, serious guy, who never made a spectacle of himself. John's character, in this film, is very dead-pan, perfecting a very Newhart-ian style of comedy.
Megan Fox...looking good. She's a damn fine prostitute ...in this movie, that is.
The actors, themselves, are not to blame for the film's shortcomings. There's a depth to the characters that's not often seen in comedies. The problem lies within the narrative. The script wanders too far, and too often. The right conclusion can make up for all that wandering. But here, the conclusion just doesn't feel right. Like an afterthought.
In summary: the only thing wrong with this movie is the lack of fart and dick jokes.
Final Verdict: 80 out of 100
