Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Pete and Debbie are both about to turn 40, their kids hate each other, both of their businesses are failing, they're on the verge of losing their house, and their relationship is threatening to fall apart.
This Is 40 is a loose sequel/spin-off from Knocked Up that follows Pete and Debbie through middle-age marital struggles. Judd Apatow's semi-autobiographical approach gives the acting some authentic warmth (Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are genuinely charming), but the film suffers from an overlong runtime with meandering, episodic plotting that lacks dramatic momentum. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable. The premise—forty-something couple navigating finances, family, and fading romance—is familiar territory handled competently but not distinctively. The ending offers a modest emotional payoff without real resolution, which is somewhat honest but unsatisfying.