This Is Bullshit
The Story
So I guess This Is 40 is sort of a sequel to Knocked Up. I don’t remember these characters, so I don’t care, but for those of you keeping score, there you go. Anyway, this is the story of Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd). They are married and have 2 daughters. Each owns and runs a small business, both of which are struggling financially. As they approach their 40th birthdays they decide to take steps to make their lives “better”. Hijinks ensue.
The Verdict
Yeah, that’s all you’re getting for story – it’s just another lame “comedy” about how much it sucks to be middle aged and have a job and a family. There’s nothing new here, and director Judd Apatow can’t even make things interesting by inserting his trademark load of swearing and general grossness. The peripheral characters are boring stereotypes and (the quirky co-workers, the bratty kids) with only Albert Brooks making a nice turn as Pete’s leeching father. Mann and Rudd have decent chemistry on screen and their less contrived moments are moderately funny, but they’re so embedded in the worn out premise that they’re just lost.
Sadly, there’s just not much to say about This Is 40. It isn’t offensively bad, it isn’t really funny, the concept is nothing new and the execution is completely average. It’s the kind of movie that is entirely forgettable. 2 stars out of 5 and recommended only for the kind of sick days when you take a lot of Nyquil anyway so don’t care what’s on the TV.
Sue reads a lot, writes a lot, edits a lot, and loves a good craft. She was deemed “too picky” to proofread her children’s school papers and wears this as a badge of honor. She is also proud of her aggressively average knitting skills She is the Editorial Director at Silver Beacon Marketing and an aspiring Crazy Cat Lady.
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