On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 6/31 |
Les Winan |
Jason Segal ably carries a film that, while by no means perfect, is full of laughs and a lot of fun to watch. Great work by Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell as well. |
| 9/98 |
David Mumpower |
Adorable comedy features two of my favorite scenes of the year. I also think this is the film that establishes Kristen Bell's greatness. |
| 10/196 |
Max Braden |
Not as funny as the trailer suggests and Segel and Kunis have very little chemistry, but it has its moments. I'd compare it to The Break Up. |
| 15/52 |
Sean Collier |
Solid and satisfying, if uneven. |
| 15/43 |
Kim Hollis |
Very funny, and feels very akin to Knocked Up in the best possible way. |
| 31/31 |
John Seal |
I'd rather die than watch this repulsive film again |
Ever since The 40 Year-Old Virgin totaled more than $109 million in domestic dollars in 2005, cinephiles and critics alike can’t seem to get enough of Judd Apatow, the man with the Midas touch. In 2007, Knocked Up, which he wrote and directed, earned $30.6 million in its first weekend and nearly $150 million overall. Just a few months later, the Apatow-produced Superbad grossed $33 million in its first frame, on its way to $121.4 million.
Apatow surely hopes Forgetting Sarah Marshall, starring Jason Segel and Kristen Bell, will become his latest summer comedy hit, both critically and financially. Directed by Nicholas Stoller, who worked with Apatow on the short-lived teen comedy Undeclared on Fox, Segel stars as Peter Bretter, a struggling musician who is devastated after his girlfriend of six years, Sarah Marshall (Bell), decides to dump him. To clear his head, Peter takes an impulsive trip to Hawaii, but while there, he unfortunately runs into Sarah, who is sporting a new boyfriend, Aldous (Russell Brand). However, Peter finds necessary relief in a beautiful resort employee, Rachel (Mila Kunis).
Forgetting Sarah Marshall essentially has zero star power — some Saturday Night Live players, Veronica from The CW’s Veronica Mars, Jackie from Fox’s That ‘70s Show. But it’s actually that very formula that has worked time and time again for Apatow, who is arguably responsible — through his films — for launching the careers of Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and wife, Leslie Mann, among others. Rogen, for example, went from playing a small role in The 40 Year-Old Virgin to a superstar summer in 2007 to — so far, at least — six projects in 2008.
To guarantee stratospheric box office numbers for Dumped, all Universal Pictures has to do is advertise that “that guy” from The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad was behind this release. In a few short years, Apatow has become one of the most trusted names in comedy, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall appears like it will further solidify the Apatow brand. (Eric Hughes/BOP)
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