This is 40, directed by Judd Apatow is a movie I had no real expectation going into and thankfully that was probably a good thing, as I left the cinema feeling like I got what I put into it, which is of course nothing at all.

If like me you have seen the posters for This is 40 then you'll be aware that the tagline reads 'the sort of sequel to Knocked-Up', and seeing as I have never seen Knocked-Up that doesn't really resonate with me, but taking into consideration that it's the 'sort of' sequel to Knocked-Up I imagine it's more of a spin-off, therefore I didn't really feel the need to watch the 129 minute movie, instead I decided to sit through all 134 minutes of this, and in all honesty This is 40 just so happens to be forty minutes too long.

Now I don't want to give you the impression that I disliked this film, because I didn't. Occasionally I sniggered and sure you could say being only sixteen you're not going to understand the jokes, but of course everyone my age at least knows a couple of forty year olds, but in all honesty this film is a bit far-fetched.

Do forty year olds really pretend to be thirty eight when they hit forty, do children obsessively watch a TV show that ended in 2010, do sisters really fight that much? Personally I think not. Sure I understand that the films a comedy, but I found it really difficult to resonate with the characters in this film, (except maybe that one joke about Mad Men) and I especially found it difficult to care about them.

Despite what I have just said there were specific elements that I like about this movie. For example, as I stated I did snigger a few times and the acting was good. Sure it's kind of annoying how Apatow has put his wife and two daughters in this movie, but hey you know money's money, but I will say that the three of them had a very strong chemistry on screen and if they didn't, well it would be safe to presume that something was wrong, and finally Paul Rudd also does a good job of playing the father too.

For me the film gets going when it's not focusing on the relationship between Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, in fact I was more intrigued when it showed the two doing their respective jobs. I liked the musical overtones that were present and dare I say I found the side-characters more intriguing than the main ones. For example the film also stars Megan Fox, Jason Segel and Chris O'Dowd and for me the thing about This is 40 is that you don't really care. If like me you'll be casually sitting there, one minute laughing, the next looking at your watch, in anticipation for it to end, because after ninety minutes admittedly I was bored, so when I found out I had forty minutes left I was pretty shocked.

Overall This is 40 is not a bad or good movie. I would say it's straight down the middle. There will be elements you like, but they'll also be ones you don't. It's an average movie that definitely doesn't warrant a trip to your local cinema, you'd probably be better of just renting this one instead.

5/10

JBool

Release Date: 14th February 2013 (UK)