None of the films about becoming older have nearly the same resonance as the Judd Apatow comedy This Is 40. The movie is presently ranked in the top 10 on Netflix, proving that subscribers agree with this statement. As the “sort-of sequel” to Apatow’s 2007 comedy Knocked Up, the movie boasts a solid cast that includes Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow, Iris Apatow, Jason Segel, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Melissa McCarthy, Lena Dunham, Chris O’Dowd, Charlyne Yi, Tim Bagley, Albert Brooks, Ryan Lee, Robert Smigel, and many others.
Paul Rudd made his film debut in the Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl-starring film Knocked Up, where he portrays Pete, the husband of Debbie (Leslie Mann). In the last movie, Debbie is Alison (Heiglsister )’s, and she is locked in a lifeless marriage with her husband. Debbie thinks Pete is cheating on her, but when she finds out that he’s actually playing in a fantasy baseball draught and has been going out alone, like seeing the newest movie at the theatre, to avoid his wife, whom he has grown to dislike, she is relieved. The pair splits up because she is understandably frustrated that Pete never brought up these difficulties with her. As a result, Pete goes on a binge with Rogan’s character Ben before realizing their errors and turning around to go back to their partners.
The characters Pete, played by Paul Rudd, and Debbie, played by Leslie Mann, are revisited in This Is 40 as they deal with completely other sets of issues. Now that their kids are adolescents, they are complete terrors. Debbie operates her own company and learns that one of her workers has been stealing money from her. The fact that Pete and Debbie are close to becoming 40 and their birthdays are coming up just makes the situation worse. The pair is struggling to stay together and is once again doubting their love. Given the positive reviews of its predecessor Knocked Up, the Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann starrer appeared like it would be a movie office hit, but reviewers weren’t impressed. This Is 40 now has a 51% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to a 50% audience score. But it’s important to remember that not all reviewers abhorred the movie. Pete Travers of Rolling Stone rated the movie three out of four stars, praising the performances of the main characters.
Despite the film’s tepid critical reaction, Apatow announced earlier this year that he intends to make another feature film named This Is 50 that is set 10 years in the future. The threequel movie is likely to feature more of the same pranks that Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann’s characters engaged in, even if no information on its production has been made public. Who knows, if the chance arose, Seth Rogan and Katherine Heigl may even return to their roles. All of the film’s major performers, as well as the director who made it have been active in the years following This, Is 40. Paul Rudd enjoyed tremendous success in the MCU when he initially played the title character in the 2015 film Ant-Man. He has since made numerous additional Marvel films, with the forthcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania acting as the franchise’s Phase 5’s official debut.
Leslie Mann has had a busy ten years since the publication of This Is 40, much like his co-star Paul Rudd. The actress has landed a variety of roles in recent years, from comedies like Blockers to tragedies like Welcome to Marwen. She most recently collaborated with her husband Judd Apatow once more for his comedy The Bubble. After directing the 2020 dramedy The King of Staten Island, which starred Pete Davidson, this movie marked Apatow’s comeback to the industry.
The performers and characters are aging as time goes on, making this the ideal moment for a new film on Debbie and Pete’s life as they near 50. Other plots may be investigated as their on-screen children go toward college and a life on their own. For the time being, we beg you to visit Netflix and discover why the Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann-starring movie is now trending in the service’s top 10.
Below is the trailer of This Is 40:
