This is 40

This is 40

Rated R and Released 12/21/12

Reviewed 1/5/13 at Celebration Cinema North in Grand Rapids, MI

with Cindy

2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Christmas and New Year's put me a bit behind in seeing this one. If you haven't made it to this, maybe just rent Knocked Up in which this is the loosely based sequel. Judd Apatow's movies, which frequently star his wife Leslie Mann, can be funny but also very crude. If it is too forced, then it gets lost in the scenes and can spiral. This has the feel of a dramedy, a drama with some comedy. Cindy and I both thought at 134 minutes, cutting 30 plus minutes off could have helped. Maybe.

For Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Mann) it is birthday week. The big "4-0" to be exact and the celebration is around the corner. Debbie is not handling it well at all and just wants the party to be for Pete. Pete is just schlepping along with life and is a goof most of the time. While both of their businesses are having financial difficulties, the couple constantly bicker and their two girls (played by real-life daughters of Mann and Apatow, Maude and Iris) wreck constant havoc. This finally leads them to a weekend getaway which was probably the funniest scene. Don't use this moment as a bathroom break! Melissa McCarthy had a small part and was a scene stealer. They should have used her more. The same goes for Albert Brooks who plays Pete's dad. However his presence wore thin with the same old, same old. Forcing scenes with the terrible acting by Megan Fox was painful. I know she is not painful to look at. I get it. Good try by casting her to get guys to take notice and buy tickets to see the movie, though. The climax of the story is the big birthday which was the never ending birthday. Judd Apatow is masterful when it comes to comedy about real life situations. He has a knack for it, but in This is 40 the knack vanished. Cindy, we will get a home run one of these times just by default.

QUIET Rating system:  JJ

Quality: JJ

Understood story:  JJj

Interest: JJ

Entertainment:  JJ

Time:  J