When husband and wife pair, Pete (Rudd) and Debbie (Mann) face their 40^th birthdays, it would seem that this milestone of age, is also a foray into a complete life assessment. This is 40 is a sort of sequel to the popular comedy Knocked Up.

Pete and Debbie are trying desperately to do the ‘right’ thing, from exercising to quitting smoking, being role-model parents, to supporting Pete’s family, but no matter how hard they try it just doesn’t seem to be working.

With the premise that your forties should be the best decade of your life—your finances are comfortable, your kids are beyond nappies, and you’re content with yourself, your friends and relationships—the reality that this couldn’t be further from the truth is devastating and their respective responses make for hilarious (if not oddly poignant) viewing.

As a comedy, I laughed a lot—maybe too much. Apatow has a gift in bringing to life the humour in ordinary situations, and this is arguably his best work to date. His children, who star in the film, add a fabulous layer and are genuinely talented. Rudd and Mann are also perfectly placed as the overly comfortable couple struggling to keep the sanity and the sexiness in their aging relationship.

This is 40 is adult humour for gen X and it is nicely done. A good choice for summertime cinema viewing that isn’t too serious.

Directed by: Judd Apatow
Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jason Segel
Rating: TBC
Runtime: 134mins
Release Date: January 17, 2013
Reviewer rating: 3.5/5