DVD/Movie Review: The 40-Year-Old Virgin

 

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 movie that is one of the "Appatowverse" comedies (written and directed by Judd Apatow) starring Steve Carell (who also co-wrote the movie), Paul Rudd, Catherine Kenner, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, and Seth Rogan. In the movie, Carrell plays a 40-year-old introvert who works at the fictional equivalent of Best Buy and has given up on trying to date or have sex. His coworkers find out he is a virgin and try to get him laid, giving him advice on how to meet and talk to women. 

If you generally do not enjoy Apatow's brand of humor, you will not like this movie. For those that do, you will find yourself laughing a lot. Yes, Carell does a great job in the lead role, but it is really all the supporting characters that really make the movie work as well as it does. The movie does have some raunchy comedy in it, but it is not really over the top. Unlike some of what passes for comedy these days, the movie does have a lot of smart humor in it along with the raunch humor. Although the movie does not take itself too seriously, there is a point to it and it ends up being pretty wholesome. That said, it is definitely not appropriate for very young kids. Chances are, if you enjoyed movies like Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Knocked Up, you will like this one too.