Another winner from producer Judd Apatow, who can seemingly do no wrong when it comes to the romantic comedy genre. This is a HILARIOUS film, but it also has its heart in the right place, and each character is multi-layered and interesting to watch. The typical genre conventions are basically avoided here, and although the film is somewhat predictable it was nice to see that no character was depicted in a cliched way. Jason Segal is wonderful, delivering a charming, star-making performance that is equivalent to Steve Carell's breakout role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He delivers in every possible way, and crafts several of the most hilarious sequences in recent memory. Kristen Bell, one of the main drawing points for me as a "Veronica Mars" fan, is also great and this film should do a lot to advance her career. She's adorable and doesn't allow the character to come off as the "bad ex-girlfriend." By the end of the film the audience might very well feel sorry for her. The writers do a good job of presenting the deterioration of the relationship from both sides, so neither one of the characters takes all the blame. Mila Kunis is surprisingly solid here and delivers a sweet, charismatic performance. Her chemistry with Segal feels believable and she has a lot of fun with the role here. Russell Brand is also worth noting, playing up his role as a conceited rock star and showing great potential. Jack McBrayer, Jonah Hill and Paul Rudd all show up in hysterical smaller roles. This is just a great film. It's everything you'd expect from an Apatow production - gut-bustingly hilarious, charming and full of heart. This will do great business and I cannot wait to see it again. A

For the record, here are my other ratings for the other recent films from the Apatow gang:

Knocked Up - A
The 40-Year-Old Virgin - A-
Superbad - A-
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - B-

And this will be a hit. Trust me I saw Knocked Up several months early last year and had the same feeling as I do about this one in terms of box office potential.

How'd you get to see this so early?

I was invited to a test screening the other day. For some reason, movies involving Judd Apatow always hold multiple screenings near me. That's how I saw Knocked Up early last year.

Pineapple Express had screenings before Superbad came out. They like doing this because their films are all amazing.

I loved this film from the very beginning as it had me rolling in isle laughing my ass off. The story was fresh and original with the characters well developed and likeable. I haven't laughed so hard in a movie since Superbad last year. Apatow and gang have another hit.


Grade A+

This is good news. Three top ratings from three very different posters! I now cant wait for it!!

Kristen Bell actually said that the Pulse connection was completely unintentional:

http://www.mtv.ca/news/article.jhtml?id=7890

Glad to see more love for FSM!

I really hope this WOM sticks with general audiences, because I'm definitely not feeling a Knocked Up OW here (more like $20m).

I saw this one again at another screening tonight. It's official (and I'm surprised to say this), I think this is my favorite Apatow project yet.

B+

It's not the best Apatow movie because Jason Segal is rather annoying but still the film was fricken funny.

Mila Kunis is the stand out. I was really impressed by her performance. Kristen Bell was great and I think she got to poke fun at her career in general. I enjoyed the Jason Bateman cameo at the end. Russel Brand was used really well.

The background characters on the other hand reek of Adam Sandler kind of theatrics. Paul Rudd and Jonah were utterly useless in small roles.

A-

It might be my favorite Apatow film. I really want to see it again this weekend.

Totally loved it, but it has the same problem all Apatow movies have. The last ten or fifteen minutes are far too "heart warming" and don't seem to fit. While I know they all need endings and the endings do end up being appropriate, the contrast between the absolutely wonderful and hilarious first 95% and the endings just leaves me with a less than perfect feeling. And I felt it here nearly as much as I felt it in Superbad.

So I wasn't just imagining that? Because, yeah, totally. I loved that.

As for Paul Rudd and Jonah Hill, yeah, they weren't exactly necessary, but Paul Rudd's part was probably the funniest part for me. Jonah Hill was over the top as usual.

I really enjoyed Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It had just the right amount of humor, raunch and heart to win me over. A

Hilarious and sweet, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is the latest winner from the Judd Apatow factory. I thought this wasn't quite as good as Knocked Up, but was about on equal par with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad. The film has very well-developed characters for a comedy (a consistent trend in these films). Jason Segel's excellent screenplay gives all of the actors plenty to work with. Segel makes Peter likable and someone we want to root for. The luminous Kristen Bell avoids turning Sarah into a one-dimensional villain, instead creating a character we actually like. Mila Kunis is delightful, proving to be a humorous, appealing love interest character. Russell Brand steals several scenes as the aloof British rocker, while Apatow regulars Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and Bill Hader make inspired cameos. A great time. A-

I gotta get that.

I loved it, obviously. It's up to Zohan to break the Apatow streak.

Maybe I'm a simple person, but I really love the feeling of seeing a comedy opening weekend in a packed theater that EVERYONE likes and laughs at. It's a really good time. This was probably the most touching Apatow films thus far, with the exception of maybe 40 year old virgin (this one has the edge that it is much easier to relate to). While it's a comedy, and there are some relatively outrageous scenes, it's no doubt the most down-to-earth film we've seen from this group, and I think Jason Segal was terrific both in his screenplay and in his acting. He took a big risk with the first 5 minutes of the film, and fortunately it paid off terrificly. I don't know what else to say right now about this film besides that I really loved it. The guy who's afraid to screw his wife, while funny, still managed to detract a little at times, as some, but not every scene he was in worked.

A

Heh.

It was a little bit funny... I laughed, liked two times...

Aaahhh, who'm I kiddin' - - it's a dull as dishwater retread - - kinda like a 40 Year Old Break-Up or somethin'...

This was a tired, tired movie rooted in a loser screenplay written by somebody much like the main character played by Jason Segel - - yipe!!! What a lazy sonofabitch. Did he lie around watchin' TV reruns, and then try and translate them into the current fashion in comedy - - well, duh! It was like seein' a high school essay cribbed from Wikipedia brought to undramatic life.

This is a bad comedy.

2 out of 5.

(It shoulda been 1 out of 5, but the second point is for those two crummy laughs I got out of this warpig...)




((I would have much rather used my two hours to have seen the feature length version of the puppet Dracula musical.))

Oh, Bradley.

Easily the worst of the Apatow straight comedies thanks to a weak lead. That being said, it has a good script, strong supporting characters (Come on dammit, when is Paul Rudd getting his Apatow Vehicle!!!) and some very funny moments. But there are a few jokes that just miss it with me this time, and Segal seems to be reading the script way too much rather than acting, and what the hell is with Apatow and male frontal nudity? First Dewey Cox and now not just once in this film, but 4 fucking times.

B+ but its no where near the greats of Superbad, Knocked Up and 40 Year old Virgin.

Oh, Libs.

Haha um yeah okkkkkkkkkkkk then

I am not surprised you did not like the film, considering that I did.

Yes, I agree - - I think our disagreement on non-romantic comedies has been well documented here at KJ.