This Is 40

Even being a bit of an Appatow fan, I found this one hard to like, much. For the most part, while presented in trailers as a comedy, while there are some amusing parts and maybe even one or two laugh out loud moments, this is hardly a comedy. Most dramas have a laugh or two in them and this is no different. Furthermore, as a big fan of Paul Rudd, who generally gets his off beat style and decent acting, even to the point that I loved the much maligned How Do You Know, this movie was just not interesting enough for me to like, much. While in How Do You Know, as I often appreciate more subtle, reading between the lines, sarcastic humor, I actually found a heck of a lot to laugh at and a charming story and characters to cheer for as well, this movie offers little in the way of endearing ties to latch onto with its characters or story. I'm not sure who's going to like this, younger folks who haven't experienced or don't care about life's travails at 40+, or the 40+ crowds themselves looking to be reminded of such travails? Pointing at such frustrations and disappointments a script would have required a heck of a lot of quality writing to show the audience just what's so darned funny with all the highlighted problems. On that front this movie barely escaped being in the outright lousy pile for me.