This Is 40

Comedy writer, producer and director extraordinaire Judd Apatow makes his most personal film yet as he looks at the problems of getting old. Taking a couple of supporting characters from his film 'Knocked Up' and giving them their own film.
One of the biggest mysteries in film making, for me at least, is how Judd Apatow has become so highly regarded as he has. As a producer he has made a few successful films and a couple as director. I tend to think he has lost his touch a bit though, especially in the writing and directing. I really liked 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin' but hated 'Knocked Up' and 'Funny People'. A general rule is that that comedies should go for roughly 90 minutes maybe 100 minutes max. Usually it is hard to sustain the funny for much longer and Judd cannot. His films would be so much better if he cut about half an hour out of them.
We are currently living in a world where people are living longer. I don't think that 40 years of age is considered such a bad thing. So the general theme of this film seemed to me to be very out of touch. The other problem is with the way it is written. There is an overriding plot of Pete and Debbie going through work crisis as well as their personal crisis in being 40, although I think this is more od Debbie's issue. But Judd has written some scenes that are like sketches which have no bearing on the main story and just feel like they are stuck in. Judd is also famous for letting his actors improvise scenes, which is another problem I have with his films. I'm all for improvisation but not when it looks like they are improvising. Some scenes seemed to drag on for longer than they should have because the actors are on some riff. Something that does not always work. 
I think Paul Rudd is an excellent comedic actor and is one of the best things in this film. He is so naturally funny and has such a goofy charm Leslie Mann on the other hand comes across as very irritating in this film. Her character is always complaining about things. And never seems very happy even when her character is supposed to be. Leslie's real life kids Maude and Iris are decent but their scenes seemed to be tacked on as well. Poor Maude gets saddled with that clichéd miserable teenager character. Albert Brooks is the best of the support characters and is quite funny. I wish John Lithgow was given more to do though. I'm also a big fan of Charlyne Yi and her deadpan style. Of the cameos I thought Melissa McCarthy was by far the best. Her outtakes scene in the end credits is the only time I laughed in the whole film.
I had extremely low expectations for this film and they were met on that level. Judd failed to impress me. I may not be the best person to judge a film like this.