This Is 40 tells the story of spouses Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann) attempting to survive the challenges of financial stress, a dysfunctional family and accepting that they are simply getting older.

Audience members try to survive the challenge of sitting through a two hour movie that is filled with far too many awkward scenes, a cast that doesn’t quite fit together and a poorly constructed plot.

Most audience members go into “This Is 40” expecting the vulgar humor that they associate with director Judd Apatow, whose previous works include “The 40-Year Old Virgin” and “Funny People.” They are met with graphic scenes that create an extremely awkward feeling that proves to be unshakeable throughout the film. Even though these crude moments are intended to exist for comedic relief, they are too long-winded to have the desired effect.

The scenes that are not ruined by unnecessary nudity or uncomfortable levels of vulgarity are marred by the poor chemistry of the cast. Rudd and Mann spend countless scenes in screaming matches, in which neither party does a convincing job.

Even worse is when Maude Apatow, playing teenage daughter Sadie, joins in on the spats. The lack of chemistry in the cast is prominently displayed and this effectively ruins any chance of creating the image of a relatable family.
The haphazard construction of the movie’s plot only makes matters worse. The few genuinely funny moments that the film provides are buried beneath the confusion that audience members face as they wonder when the transition from scene to scene occurred.

Although this lack of transitions has worked well in other recent comedies, it simply does not fit in with a film that awkwardly attempts to be a comedy while delivering a heartwarming message.
Despite attempts to be relatable to audiences and occasionally funny moments, “This Is 40” proves to be a letdown.

By: Katie Weber