The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Barrel of Laughs - 3.5/5

So I saw this film called 'The 40 Year Old Virgin'. It's a barrel of laughs isn't it? With a stellar cast including funny-men Steve Carrell and Seth Rogen you can't help but find this film hilarious. There's a guy in this called Gerry Bednob too! Add to this a title which tells you straight from the start that this is going to make you laugh and you've got yourself a movie. Now I won't pretend it's the funniest film out there but it is genuinely laugh out loud hilarious in places. Judd Apatow delivers his brand of comedy and it appeals to almost everyone.
I must digress slightly here as I remember what a friend said to me last night in the pub. What is Seth Rogen's main film? In popular films he features but rarely plays a big role. I know he was the main character in 'Observe and Report' and to a degree 'Pineapple Express' but somehow he manages to fade into the background. Everybody loves him but when I was asked the question I was like uhhhhhh... You probably think I'm crazy and disagree with me but it's something to think about.
Back to the film then. I didn't like Romany Malco's character Jay one bit and I don't think he was acted as well as he should have been. You put in the token black guy of the group and make him a stereotypical 'bitch' hunter. It's wearing a bit thin. Why not swap his character with Seth Rogen's? That could have made for some funnier stuff.What I liked about how this film was laid out however was that, in places, you could see the actors bringing in their own material and it's nice to see that, you know that the actors are having a laugh and this draws you in to having a laugh with them. Parts of the storyline sagged slightly and the ending did let it down a bit but overall I'd say it was a success.
Would I recommend it? If you want some laughs, go for it.