User Reviews

Wow, this film seems to be generating a lot of hostility: I am not quite sure what's behind it. I guess people went into this expecting a sitcom-like, snappy feel good film, like 40 Year Old Virgin? Or goofy, happy-go-lucky characters such as Seth Rogen's posse in Knocked Up? Did these people not see Funny People? I am all in favor of letting Mr. Apatow develop as a director. To be clear here: this film follows Pete and Debbie's story arc from a few years after the events in Knocked Up. The are both turning 40, and neither is handling it particularly gracefully, but they weren't handling their lives and relationships particularly well in the earlier film. I found this movie to have a Larry David Show quality to it: however irrationally and offensively our protagonists behave, there are always others who will go them one better (or worse). Yes, Debbie and Pete are defective human beings; but so, I would argue, are all the people inhabiting this world, excepting the very gentlemanly Graham Parker (and Billie Joe Armstrong). Such is the stuff of comedy. Are these caricatures? Surely, and yet they are caricatures of realities which I see every day. Is the teenage daughter given to histrionics? You bet, but that is what teenagers are like, and the fact remains that teenagers turn their parents into equally irrational and histrionic characters in that relationship; I actually found it refreshing to find a teenager in a movie, played by a teenager, who isn't a wisecracking savant commenting on the follies of her elders.

To sum up, this felt to me like a mature work from a good director. There are moments of farce, slapstick, and outrageous humor, surrounded by moments where things just happen. For people who can't handle that kind of pacing, you are welcome to stay out of movie theaters, and sit in front of your TV sets: the networks are sure to have plenty of non-challenging sitcoms that are specially designed to pander to you.

While I'm in my 40s I am single and childless but I hear enough stories from people around me (same age, middle class Californians) to know this movie is actually touching on what are real world situations for some people. So I didn't feel like there was much overdramatization as most critics point out. I also didn't feel like it was too long as I did enjoy the story, dialogues, etc. So I didn't think it felt drawn out. At the end of the day, most of the jokes work, plot and characters are engaging, and so there is enough to enjoy despite having nothing extremely original to rave about.

I think I know my issue with Judd Apatow's movies.

They're always overdrawn. I think Apatow is a true Auteur, and has intelligent, stylish ways of telling a story.

Like almost all his flicks, this movie has laughs, heart and drama.... A LOT of drama.

Apatow should either write, or direct his movies, not both. I have a feeling if someone else took the directors chair/ producers chair, the movie would be significantly shorter.

I don't mind drama in movies, but when the extra hour of the movie is filled up with only drama, then I become irritated.

This is a movie you should rent/watch on Netflix. The writing and direction are both good, but you need to pace yourself, take breaks, come back later after getting some air, because 2.5 hours is to long for a movie like this.

This is all my opinion of course, so take it or leave it.

Regardless of anything, enjoy your night out at the movies, you earned it!

Pete (Paul Rudd) is a family man married with Debbie (Leslie Mann) and they have two daughters, the teenager Sadie (Maude Apatow) and the girl Charlotte (Iris Apatow). Paul and Debbie, who lies about her age, are turning 40 and they are planning a party for Paul. He lost his job in Sony and now he has a nostalgic record label with only one artist, the British rock singer and songwriter Graham Parker that was successful in the period from the 60's to the 80's. Debbie has a fashion store with two employees, and she has just found an embezzlement of US$ 12,000.00. She was poisoned by the inefficient Jodi (Charlyne Yi) and suspects of the productive saleswoman Desi (Megan Fox).

Debbie has issues with her estranged father Oliver (John Lithgow) while Pete secretly supports his idle father Larry (Albert Brooks). Debbie meets her father and invites him for the party. Pete comes to the edge with the bankruptcy since he needs to sell their home and Debbie finds that she is pregnant but she hides from Pete. In the party, Pete has a nervous breakdown but Debbie is there to help him.

"This is 40" is a dramatic comedy about relationship, modern marriage and mid-life crisis. I believe that every viewer that is more than forty years old and married with children will identify problems that he or she might have lived. There are many hilarious scenes and references to movies and shows but also moments of drama that are immediately relieved by a joke. It is also funny because I have recently watched all the 117 episodes (and not 114) of "Lost" in five weeks, the same way Sadie did. Just as a curiosity, Leslie Mann is married with the director and writer Judd Apatow and the two girls (Maude and Iris) are their daughters. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Bem-vindo aos 40" ("Welcome to the 40")

For a comedy, then "This is 40" had a tendency to keep on going on and on, and at almost two hours, it started to wear thin, and the movie should have had ended about 30 minutes ago.

The story in "This is 40" is about married couple Pete (played by Paul Rudd) and Debbie (played by Leslie Mann), who celebrate a 40th year birthday and are starting to have marital issues that are weighing down on them, as is their financial situation.

"This is 40" is a movie about turning 40, but struggling to keep being young. But it is also a story of relationship situations, up and downs, good and bad. And it is a movie about love conquering all obstacles.

The cast in the movie was quite good, and there is a great chemistry between Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. And they both really carried the movie so well, and made it worthwhile to sit through. Jason Segel also makes a small entrance in this movie in a strange, but small, role. And John Lithgow also makes a nice addition to the movie, despite having a small role.

Aside from being a bit too long and dragging on, then "This is 40" is a good movie. It is the type of comedy that makes you smile and feel good, not the kind of comedy that will have tears trailing down your cheeks from laughing too hard.

Everyone hits 40 at sometime, and some deal with it better than others. "This is 40" is well worth a watch if you are sitting down with a loved one and want an evenings worth of entertainment that is best watched with the person you love.

The supporting characters of "Knocked Up" (2007) have matured. Married couple Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) are turning 40. This does not mean that writer, director Judd Apatow has matured. It's a bit more of a dramedy than some of his other comedic adventures but it's still his typical low-brow humour spread out for over two hours. The characters are older, more assured in who they are, but their responses to life are less cultured.

Pete eats too many cupcakes, makes poor business decisions and doesn't tell his wife that they have to sell their house. Debbie obsesses over younger and hotter bodies, nags her husband about their sex life, and takes extreme reactions to every little, or big, thing. Debbie is rude, selfish, inconsiderate, immature and so disconnected from every reasonable woman that there is no humanly possible way to make her likable let alone funny. Pete was slightly better; still selfish, inconsiderate and immature but at least his jokes were just unfunny rather than rude.

The plot, in the loosest sense of that word, has Pete turning 40 and Debbie is going to throw his birthday party, but Pete is pre-occupied with his failing business and Debbie is pre-occupied with hating him. She is also obsessed with getting a tighter body and ogling them on younger women — this involves feeling up her young employee (Megan Fox) and hiring a fitness trainer. The main cameo of many returning Apatow players is Jason Segel as the fitness trainer. Why? Because it's supposed to be funny.

Everything in the first two hours or so was done solely for the comedy. Some of it was funny (Pete is played by Paul Rudd after all and there's a small role for Melissa McCarthy), but a lot of it was in the trailer, and most of it was just stupid. It was also at this point, the two-hour mark, that Debbie declares, "All of a sudden, we're a magnet of negativity. What did we do?" Maybe she wasn't watching the movie, but this has been two hours, it's not all of a sudden, and secondly, she is the source of the negativity. This should be the turning point for the film but Debbie still hasn't figured out how horrible of a person she is. That comes later.

Very similar to "The Five-Year Engagement" (2012), another romantic comedy that took way too long to come to its inevitable conclusion, "This is 40" only gets emotionally resonant when the characters finally make the change for the better. Too bad that in this case the characters were too far from redeemable in the first place.

This Is 40 is a very funny comedy that's also got some good emotional moments but doesn't really have much of a plot. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann give great performances and have amazing chemistry. Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Maude Apatow and Iris Apatow are all really good. The jokes are consistently really funny throughout. Judd Apatow's direction is great and it's well filmed. It's also well paced and the music by Jon Brion is good.

This is 40 is a complete surprise. A straight-forward slice of life that follows its protagonists as they cross the great, unseen barrier into their fifth decade, the film is naturally funnier, more poignant, and more engaging than might be expected. With laughter coming from the both the banalities of life and its heavier moments, the film rarely sinks into caricature and keeps tone-killing silliness to a minimum.

Wasn't expecting much before watching the movie, but was pleasantly surprised. Firstly and most importantly the comedy was not lame. The jokes were down to earth, made sense and made me laugh sincerely. This rarely happens with all those stupid comedies nowadays. Secondly - the topic and the storyline was so relevant in regards to relationships and families of our society. Though it is a comedy genre - but underneath that you can fell that the problems and situations that are being touched are important and worth thinking about. The performances by Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann and Maude Apatow - were amazing. Paul and Leslie were perfect, but also my respects to the youngest cast members, as they were convincing and did their part flawlessly.

I love this! It really captures the pressures of marriage, career, and kids! It makes me laugh, and I love seeing a couple who doesn't have it all together on screen!

I just sat through "This is 40" , and I think they should rename it "This is Pointless". This self indulgent , sloppy , lazy , whiny excuse for a movie should have never seen the light of day , and to think it made nearly $80 million at the box office is an embarrassment to people who have any taste for good filmmaking. While I have enjoyed some of the previous films of Judd Apatow, It seemed the studio had so much confidence in his previous track record that they just gave him a bunch of money and said "Do whatever you want" , and that's what he did , and that's what we got. The enormous waste of talents like Paul Rudd , Albert Brooks , John Lithgow , etc. , is glaring , and I was just waiting for something, anything to happen in the movie to break up the monotony. The use of Apatows two daughters , non actors they are , was as annoying as the obvious lack of a script , and the fact that a lot of the movie seemed to be ad libbed , and really had nowhere to go, and basically wasn't the least bit interesting , or funny , just annoying. The movie went on and on for over two hours , weaving it's little plot of this annoying, self absorbed little family , the plot was about How Paul Rudds' record label was struggling , how Leslie Mann , playing his wife, ran a store which was losing money from a possible thieving employee , and how their daughters were driving them crazy with their daily demands. All in all , I had to go "Who the hell cares?" These self absorbed , totally unlikeable , totally unbelievable characters had nothing to say , nowhere to go , and nothing to do. If I'm ever going to see another Apatow project , I hope he gets his head out of his butt, and can make a movie with interesting characters and situations, instead of the loathsome , uninteresting characters and storyline that go nowhere, which is what this movie is.

First and foremost, this is the first movie I have seen in years that actually has something to do with my life. I read through the threads, and I wasn't surprised that people found it depressing. They were probably expecting to see Knocked Up or I Love You Man. It lacks the stoner cool single guys being all zany about porn. Instead the comedy comes from things that forty somethings deal with: mortgage, kids, hormones, diet, expectations, etc. I rarely get to see a movie about people my age or having problems and solutions that don't involve guns, drugs, superheroes, cartoon birds, and people who have 8 figure life styles without ever having a job. Okay, so he's a groovy record co. guy, and she has a chic boutique.... Definitely way more California than my life, but still it is pretty real to life. I will concede that there are some gags that don't quite work, but like I said: I'm stickin' up for this one because I think it is getting a bad rap based on expectations. Thanks to Judd Apatow for making a movie about life instead of (hip jobs aside) hyper-situational life.

Debbie (Leslie Mann) and Pete (Paul Rudd) are both homing in on 40, a breakthrough age, where youth is now firmly behind us, highlighted by their elder teenage daughter Sadie (Maude Apatow) going through her puberty. Far from a dysfunctional family nonetheless Debbie and Pete struggle to rekindle the attachment and mutual fulfillment that this marriage has brought forth. Pete is a loving father, despite the fact that Sadie was never planned, he affectionately tries to perform his duties, even if his love for rock music places him as somewhat of a family outsider. Coupled with his ailing music label, dedicated to the old timer music lovers, Pete is increasingly left alone.

In turn Debbie owns a clothes store, (wo)manned by the alluring Desi (Megan Fox) and the troubled Jodi (Charlyne Yi), one of them guilty of stealing profound amounts of money, thus further increasing the family financial crisis. Sadie, hot on the heels of her first period, is an avid "Lost" fan and is going through a period of teenage angst, which spitfires as an open rebellion to the actions of undeniably immature parents later on in the movie. In the background we have the star of the movie, Charlotte (Iris), an 8 year old with wit to die for and a knack for a short but pinpoint summary of events.

Much in the vein of "40 Year Old Virgin", Judd Apatow gets in deep with an odd mix of slapstick, vulgarity, toilet humour and the rampant Tarantinesque meandering dialogues. Nonetheless, where it works in other movies, the low-brow humour felt markedly out of place for the majority of this family drama, jaggedly deflating tension and dramaturgy in order to force a cheap laugh. On top of that Apatow attempts to overdose on sideshow (primarily unfunny) jokes, which derail attention and exacerbate running time. Nonetheless the movie has a pretty decent flow, but I found myself distinctly uninterested as to where the drama is headed, which questions how effective mix of comedy and social commentary actually is. One of Apatow's weaker scripts isn't helped by its predictability and overly sexual innuendos.

Judd Apatow is undoubtedly directly at the centre of the USA's comedy universe. Discovering and nurturing stars such as Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Jonah Hill, and with movies like Superbad, Bridesmaids and Anchorman to his name, Apatow has earned the power to make movies about anything he wants, starring whoever he wants. And so we have This is 40, the fourth film that he has written, directed and produced (after The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and the far weaker Funny People). Starring his wife, Leslie Mann and two kids, Maude and Iris, and filmed on the Apatow's street, this is bordering on autobiographical- even Judd's 90 year old grandmother makes an appearance.

The movie follows the story of Pete (Paul Rudd, essentially playing Apatow) and Debbie (Mann), and their two kids, Charlotte and Sadie (Maude and Iris Apatow) who we met as supporting characters in Knocked Up, and whose marriage is flagging after 14 years. The story doesn't get any more complicated than that, really. Watching as this well-to-do family of four battles through a plethora of first world problems- they might have to move from their big house to a slightly smaller big house, children spending too much time on the ipad, etc- for two and a half hours sounds like it would be agonising and boring, and yet it isn't. The fact is that this film is so observant of the upper-middle class to which it's characters belong, so honest about the little, everyday struggles that they encounter, that it feels like it's real, and real is funny. Even with hilarious supporting characters played by Megan Fox, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Segel, Chris O'Dowd, Lena Dunham and Albert Brooks, the real stars here are the family of Apatows, who nail the nuances of inter-family relationships, with Maude Apatow putting in a particularly brilliant performance as over-dramatic older sister Sadie.

This Is 40 has been unfairly criticised for over-dramatising the problems of a rich LA family, saying that the parents come across as mean and the kids as spoilt- but that analysis is shallow. This film goes deeper than that, the characters aren't upset because they're losing money, they're upset because their relationship is falling apart, that they have secrets in their marriage, that they can't be honest with each other. People seem repulsed by the fact that a comedy about the rich is trying to earn the audience's sympathy- but why not? Can a comedy only be emotional if it's about the poor? I was sure that films like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Lost In Translation had already proved that this wasn't the case. But just in case there was any doubt, This is 40 is here to do it again.

First off--this is well worth seeing, it is consistently funny--and at times keel-over funny. However if you're looking for a meaningful plot that gets neatly wrapped up, that's not gonna happen. Like porn, the plot was just there as an excuse for the many 'money shots'--the consistently funny gags about typical 40ish couple's lives.

Rudd's character is suffering a struggling business (and also maybe a little of 'struggling business'--if you know what I mean). Mann's character has a business also, that is suffering. Their kids are dealing with various modern-kid issues--Facebook bullies, trying to devour entire seasons of "Lost" in a matter of days, etc. The parents fight, the kids fight, Rudd & Mann each have issues with their own parents--one with abandonment issues, the other with what might be the polar opposite of abandonment.

And the gags and issues that arise, I can tell you, are all based in reality--it's a good composite of the issues that this demographic actually faces--only depicted with the cinematic equivalent of the "Photoshop saturation slider" cranked to 11.

A special mention for Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow's kids--they actually can act, and they were excellent in this film. They belonged in the film--not 'becuase their daddy is the producer'--but because they added big-time in both the many comedy scenes they were in, but also in the movie's scattered drama moments. Very adorable kids, who blended into this movie effortlessly and definitely added to its charm.

So that's the plot, and in the end, it leaves you with hope that things will get better, but never really pounds that point down and gift-wraps a sappy, happy ending, but it doesn't need to--the plot is just a vehicle to tow all of the gags with.

And the gags, mini-skits, etc, are very funny, and very consistent--me, my wife, and most of the theater were laughing through the bulk of the film (Stay for the ending credits--the blooper reel with Melissa McCarthy may be one of the funniest of the entire movie).

So that's it--I give it a 8--well worth seeing in the theater, and when it comes out on DVD, I'll definitely rent it and see it again.

All these people that gave this movie terrible ratings need to lighten up ! First many of the actors are also comedians! If you can't handle mature dark humor than this movie isn't for you . Real people have to deal with a lot of things on their plate . The two main characters are dysfunctional individuals trying to make sense out of their crazy lives . The only part that I thought was over the top was the reaction to the child that said negative things about their older daughter . What they said could be outright threats that could be criminally charged. But at the end of the day it is a dark comedy. I like the ending. When in crisis mode families come together.

There are so many wrong things about this un-funny comedy that I am not sure where to start. The very loose plot revolves around a rich married couple, with two daughters. All the members of this family spend most of their "quality" time shouting at each other.

Despite this, hubby (Paul) and wife (Debbie) carry on their dysfunctional marriage for reasons impossible to understand. They both are immature, self-absorbed and kept together only by sex.

Several scenes involve trivial language and cringe-inducing situations. To mention but a few: Debbie insulting a kid, after having read his comments on her daughter's facebook page (how utterly pathetic to see an adult woman losing it with a kid for such a trivial reason...; Debbie going to the disco with her employee and behaving like a teenager; Paul spending a lot of time in the toilet (we have the pleasure of seeing him taking a dump not once but twice), etc.....

The only saving grace for me was that this was supposed to be my in-flight entertainment, so at least I had the pleasure of not paying for a ticket.

Pete's (Paul Rudd) business is failing, wife Debbie's (Leslie Mann) business has a thief operating within it. The Mortgage is past due, and with two kids the bills pile up pretty quick. Plus Pete gives Larry (Albert Brooks), his father, money each month and Debbie doesn't like it.

We learn absolutely nothing from this movie except, maybe, not to be taken in again by such foolishness because the title was intriguing. Oh, and it doesn't matter what age you are right now: you will learn nothing in here. There is no comedy, no good lines, not even any good sight-gags. And, you will discover a disgusting thing along the way. Pete gets Debbie to look to see if there is a growth or something and Debbie, repulsed by this (as are we) just says, "hemorrhoids." Aaaaaand, cut. See? And, this is supposed to be funny?

Here is what is seen. Pete and Debbie talk incessantly about things having much to do about nothing and sometimes "something", but the "somethings" are belittled and shelved for now. They do this as they seem to be rehearsing their lines for when the actual movie is shot. So they speak exceedingly fast to a point, they almost lose the audience. When one stops the other starts and often each is interrupted by the other. Look at it this way: they are learning lines. Nothing more. There is no chemistry. It's like an old Laugh-In TV show without the comedy and you must keep up since you feel you are committed to learning something. You just wish they would slow down some and catch a breath and yes, get on with the problems we know they have.

Way more than half the movie is gone when you realize Pete and Debbie are finally talking about the failing business, the theft within the store, and the money Pete gives to Larry, a deadbeat to say the least. And, it is here you realize that this simple, unfunny, with no good lines movie is becoming too long and we don't know why because not much happens anywhere. It just constantly drones on…………………

Enter some talent: Catherine (Melissa McCarthy) a mother who accuses Debbie of scaring her child. Pete , Debbie, Catherine and the principal are in the principal's office. Catherine unloads an almost 3-minute foul-mouthed tirade against the principal and Debbie. Now, get this. During themovie, we only see Catherine unloading, but when the credits role (yeah, I stayed that long) the director shows via outtakes: Pete, Debbie and Catherine and you see Pete and Debbie breaking up laughing at the tirade. Funny? Ah, some may find it so. I didn't. But, one has to have some talent to keep up a foul-mouthed tirade for almost 3-minutes.

Enter Oliver (John Lithgow), Debbie's dad who has remarried and hasn't seen his grandkids in 7-years although he has kids of his own. He looks as confused as we are and, in essence, brings nothing to the table for us to enjoy. Lithgow should go back to drama as comedy doesn't work for him. He is good in drama.

This 40 thing is a bust. It's not funny, there are no good lines, no sight-gags funny or otherwise and yes, language is pervasive throughout, but more to the point: nothing is learned about turning 40. (1/10)

Violence: No. Sex: Yes. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

So if you have not yet seen This Is 40, but want to because you are a fan of writer/director Judd Apatow's films, or of the many films he has produced, most likely you will be disappointed with it. It seems in this day and age a lot of teenagers and people in their mid 20's to about the 40 age range, really seem to like R rated comedies that feature a lot of crude language and jokes involving sexuality, drugs, bathroom humour and various other things that some may find taboo. I have also noticed however, that the audiences who go to see those types of films do not want them to be more than say 90 minutes and seemed to get restless, or endlessly whine, or complain if you have a comedy that is over 90 minutes, or dare I say even over two hours which This Is 40 is. This Is 40 has a lot to offer viewers, but I think the viewers who are most likely to see the film will be disappointed because while the film does offer the scatological R rated humour that they will be craving for, it is a longer film and is actually more of a drama and a character study of the highs and lows of a marriage and the life of a married couple now reaching the age of 40 and their children who are growing up as well. Films like Blue Valentine, A Woman under the Influence, or such films that deal with marital problems seem to be a hit and miss with audiences. The audiences who seem to walk away with appreciation and insight into those type of films are probably those who prefer the art house type of films and are going to the theatre not to be entertained, but to be enriched and challenged and see a piece of art that is bound to leave you with something to think, or feel, whether it be a positive, or negative feeling. This is one time where I think probably the art house audience will probably enjoy This Is 40 more than your average audience who goes to a theatre to leave their cares at home and be entertained for 90 minutes and not challenged, or engaged by what they are seeing. At the same point, I can also see where the art house crowd may be turned off by such a film as this because of the language and the scatological humour, so while I deeply appreciated This Is 40 and consider it Apatow's most accomplished and put together film to date, I think it will divide audiences and it will be hard to find, or classify a certain audience that will like it. Yes, there are some very funny moments in the film, but what I appreciated and got more out of was the dramatic scenes and the scenes examining this marriage that at times looks like it is in a crisis and that either one of this married couple could have a nervous breakdown, or head for a divorce at any time. I found to be realistic in this depiction of a married couple because as the films I mentioned above, in this film as well, you do see the couple at times in much love and adoration of one another, but at other times they are so enraged and dysfunctional as a couple that it can almost at times be hard to watch because there is a lot of verbal fights between the couple and their children as well. I did not think this was one of Judd Apatow's funniest films, but I was okay with that because I left the theatre really appreciating and in respect of what he did include and showcase in this film. I found it realistic because any normal couple does have ups and downs and yes, there are times when they fight, times when they love each other and times when they simply can't stand to look at each other. Sometimes marriages like this do work out and people can mend the differences between them and patch things up and unfortunately sometimes the inner wounds are too deep and can not be repaired, which often leads to divorce, or even if the couple do stay together, there is often deep seated issues that will further plague and haunt the marriage even if they do stay together and think everything is alright. The acting from both Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann as this couple is very good. In fact the whole cast is all very good here when both displaying their comedic talents and their dramatic sides as well. Yes, the film is over two hours which seems to really be a problem for some people, but I found the film really allowed me to contemplate what I was watching and how the different lives of these characters connected and affected one another. I found both the comedy and the drama really interesting and I did want to see how it would turn out and what I would walk away from the film thinking. I am not going to tell you how the film ends, but I found had the film had a happy ending, or a sad one that either outcome would have been realistic for the story and would suit the film. This as I said earlier is Apatow's most mature and accomplished work because while he still uses his R rated humour, he also goes so much beyond that and allows us to feel and connect with these characters and they feel real to us. Sometimes we do not like them at all, other times we do, but I appreciated that as well because not everything was so simple and basic. It leaves room for many different outcomes and showcases more emotions and thoughts and feelings that these characters are having.