This Is 40 - quick review (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

"This is 40" could be titled "This is 40 Minutes Too Long". It's a big swing and a miss for me. Sure, some laughs were had here and there, but a meandering mess with uneven pacing. Maybe Judd Apatow was going for the "life happens" type of screenwriting this time around, but it results in a scattershot feeling that seeps throughout most of the film's running time.
Leslie Mann (Apatow's wife) doesn't quite have the dramatic chops to really dig into some of the more dramatic scenes, and in other scenes, she comes across a bit too shrewish as Debbie (who has a hard time coming to grips with turning 40). Paul Rudd's Pete is also at the crossroads of turning 40, with a business that's crumbling, and his family's way of life doing the same. Rudd tries, but again, not much meat on the bones of the script this time around.
Apatow's kids aren't given good material to work with, so their "Sadie and Charlotte" sister act gets old quick. Megan Fox is actually a bright spot in the film, even with being casted as the younger, hotter employee in Debbie's clothing store (with guys draping themselves all over her at every opportunity), her few scenes pumped some life into an otherwise mediocre film. Charlyne Yi is simply a bad caricature in the film. Albert Brooks as Pete's dad does throw out a bit that will get some attention due to the recent events in Newtown, CT, but I'm glad they kept it in. Just unfortunate timing, but there you go.
I give it 2.5 stars, or a grade of C+. I might pare it down to a C if I think on it more.

 

[TravisR]

I'm a big fan of Judd Apatow's directorial efforts (especially Funny People) and this one was no different. His combination of heart and really dirty humor works for me. The movie is long but it never dragged for me. Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann and Albert Brooks were all wonderful. Also, Melissa McCarthy hit out of the park in her couple of scenes.

 

[Jason_V]

I felt dirty walking out of the theater, like I had just watched a sequence of events I shouldn't have seen. I guess that's the point, right? To shine a light on a part of marriages and life a lot of people choose to ignore or believe doesn't happen. This Is 40 was just all over the place with characters dropping out and coming in for no apparent purpose, with no back story (John Lithgow) until it was too late. Neither Debbie nor Pete had any backbone when it came to the kids or each other; the biggest thing I came away with was the incessant plug for LOST.

Parts of the movie were sketch comedy-like, such as Debbie giving her DOB in the doctor's office. Other parts were plain uncomfortable to watch (one of the final arguments between Debbie and Pete). There wasn't a lot of empathy on part for any of these people, except maybe Charlotte. She was thrown into a terrible situation with this family.

Editing needed to cut about a half hour from the finished run time. And THAT could have been Jason Segal's part. He added nothing to the movie as far as I'm concerned.

A massive meh from me.

 

[Doug Miller]

I hit this one solo today and was pretty disappointed. I was surprised they didn't take a health-scare route w/Pete instead of the direction they took it in the end. (Which would have played better.) I turn 39 in May and have been feeling like I'm hitting that rut. I kind of expected the movie to be partially uplifting or funny enough to make me feel better about getting older. Instead, I felt better at the end of the movie because my life and relationship are not even remotely shitty compared to what they had going. Patrick hit it on the head, this movie is loooooong.
Doug