The film has a great mix of different actors, most, if not all, of whom will be recognisable from other Apatow movies, playing lots of different characters that really provide great filler to support the main story when it happens to sag. Everyone from Jonah Hill’s restaurant waiter, Mila Kunis' receptionist (she's rarely seen in movies, strangely, but is great here), Peter’s stepbrother played by Bill Hader, and Paul Rudd’s stoner surf teacher. But the best character overall and the funniest thing in the entire movie is Russell Brand’s Aldous Snow. Brand has set his sights on the world of film but he hasn’t quite found a movie that called for his style, shall we say. Here the role is pitch-perfect for him; he gets to play a character which is basically what he’s like in real life. It’s then not really acting, but who gives a damn when he’s this damn funny? I can’t tell if it was the script or him, probably a combination of both, but I just found myself laughing every time he was on screen.
As with all of the Apatow films following The 40-Year-Old Virgin, I found there to be quite a few weaknesses. First off, and again like all of Apatow’s stuff, the film is far too long. He seems to stretch every film he to round about the two hour mark when 90 to 100 minutes is all that’s called for. There were a few scenes that didn’t work and parts of the story that just weren’t necessary, extending the runtime needlessly to the point where I was looking at my watch for it to finish. Also I think in general it’s just the whole Apatow thing that’s beginning to wear thin, on me at least. Every one of the movies that he’s involved with has the same feel, and sometimes even the same look, and it just isn’t having the same intended effect that it first did.
This will probably be another big hit for the Apatow gang and kudos to them for still being able to draw the amount of people that the movies do. This is an improvement over some of his previous efforts, with some hilarious moments and great characters worthy of the time and money. It’s clear, however, that the Apatow train might not be speeding along for very much longer.
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