Westhoff Reviews "This is 40"
By Jeffrey Westhoff
“This Is 40”
**
Rated: R for sexual content, crude humor, pervasive language and some drug material
Running time: 2 hours, 13 minutes
Who’s in it: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Albert Brooks, Megan Fox
What it’s about: Rudd and Mann, reprising the supporting characters they played in “Knocked Up,” face new challenges to their marriage as they turn 40.
Verdict: Writer-director Judd Apatow invented a style of affably vulgar comedy that has served him and a company of fellow actors and filmmakers well for nearly eight years. This time, Apatow’s worst instincts overpower his best. The frequently crude dialogue is no longer grounded in a sense of goofiness, and main characters are no longer likeable. Rudd is not given as much screen time as Mann, who is Apatow’s wife. Even Apatow’s good films are too long, but this one seriously lacks the discipline to edit. The occasional good scenes are separated by acres of pointless sequences and subplots.
