Cheap Cds - 40 Year Old Virgin (XXL Version) [2005]

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Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:

Summary: the longest afternoon of my life
Comment: I had really high hopes for this movie, being a huge fan of Steve Carell in the Office. Sadly though
it doesnt deliver. Apart from a few slapstick scenes its not funny. There are loads of annoying
things about it, The most being that Steves co-workers rip on him for cycling to work!!!! That is so
American, avoid, avoid,avoid!!!

Customer Rating:

Summary: A lot better than it has a right to be.
Comment: From the title alone, this film looks like it's a part of a certain comedy fraternity that dominates
American comic cinema; the Date Movie/Not Another Teen Movie/American Pie gross-out films that make
millions and... well, most of the time, suck. However, 40 Year Old Virgin is a whole lot more than
that, and a whole lot funnier too.

40 Year Old virgin somewhat uniquely (Dodgeball
aside) sits on the fence between the two genres; there's enough puking and fart gags to make the
great unwashed happy, but it's also sharp enough (much of the dialogue is improvised and pretty
smart too) to please the more highbrow viewer.

One of the few negatives of the film is
that it's too long and drawn out (and the closing sequence is to me at least, dismally unfunny).
However, the plethora of great lines ("You know how I know you're gay? You like Coldplay!"),
genuinely amusing physical humour and an underlying message which is both positive and without
schmaltz all combine to make this a film well worth watching by almost all comedy fans.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Enjoyable light fanfare
Comment: This movie is carried ably, not only by Carell's wacky performance, but by his three coworkers,
David, Jay, and Cal. These three guys, particularly as they quarrel amongst themselves regarding the
various stages of "gayness," bring a dimension of jocularity to this film that is priceless. Other
noteworthy roles include Jane Lynch as Andy's on-the-prowl boss, and Elizabeth Banks as a predatory
nympho. This whole film just meshes--even the over-the-top Sixties flashback closing overture; the
chest hair waxing scene had me wiping tears of exuberant joy from my eyes. THE 40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN is
light fanfare, an adult comedy that feels good, from start to finish. Recommended.

Customer Rating:

Summary: 40 year old virgin:
Comment: This is just about as bad as it gets. Hollywood fare ranges from examples of the best in world
entertainment to.....this. Don't waste any time or money on this rubbish.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Overrated, but entertaining
Comment: 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin' (2005)
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Written by: Judd Apatow & Steve
Carell
Starring: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd

Cerificate: 15 />Running Time: 127 mins
Discs: 1

The Film:
'The 40 Year-Old Virgin'
was a surprise hit of 2005. The director and cast were mainly unknowns at the time. The film was not
exactly high-budget. Yet the film carried a gross-but-sweet shtick, that has proved highly popular,
with films such as 'American Pie', or 'Road Trip'. The critics were also, surprisingly, fond of the
film, garnering it extra interest from the movie-going public. Yet, it's honestly hard to see, for
me at least, why the film is so highly praised.

The plot is intensely complex. Andy
Stizer (Carell) is a (you guessed it) forty-year-old virgin, much to the shock of his workmates
(Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogan). They attempt to put a stop to this unimpressive track record,
and Andy meets single mother Trish (Keener), who (you guessed it) he falls in love with. This main
plotline is fun and entertaining, yet so predictable that it fails to properly engross. Instead, the
film is at it's best when focusing on the irreverant discussions the characters have, from sex, to
drugs, to porn, to more sex, to everything else you couldn't discuss in a lesser rated film. />
However, it's often not quite as funny as it thinks it is. There are points where the
discussions get so overly bogged down in vulgarity that it just seems like it's trying too hard.
Trust me, I'm not a prude at all, they are probably the sorts of discussions I would have with my
friends. Which gives it a certain air of believability - yet, it still seems like it's trying far
too hard at points. While there are definite laughs to be had, mainly from the workmates (Rudd and
Rogan in particular), it never raises far above being 'smirk'some. It's a shame, as there is
definite talent on show, from the writers and cast. Some of the workmate characters are just a bit
overly slobbish though, which annoys me a bit. Carell is held to high regard for his comedy, and
whilst his performance is fine, it never particularly sets the screen on fire, which goes down to
the supporting cast. Keener also gives a good performance as Trish, believably sweet and realistic,
proving that, at the very least, Carell and Apatow are good character writers.

I guess
I'm really rambling about a film that is just meant as pure entertainment. And for the most part, it
is. However, running over two hours really does push it, and it ends with a horribly embarassing
song-and-dance to some popular tune I can't remember the name of. It feels entirely out of place,
and is just cringe-worthy. It's fun, and mildly funny, but far overrated, and hard to see why at
that.

Special Features:
There are a fair amount of special features on
show, though they are all fairly irrelevant, and it lacks the commentary from the R1 release. />
Deleted, Extended, And Alternate Scenes With Optional Commentary From Director/Co-Writer
Judd Apatow And Actor/Co-Producer Seth Rogan
The majority of the special features is comprised
of these, including 'You Know How I Know You're Gay?', 'Andy's Fantasies', 'Call And Paula', 'Advice
From Mooj', and 'Date-A-Palooza', plus a separate 'Deleted Scenes' archive. Yep, there's a lot. Most
of these are good fun, some bits proving funnier than anything in the film. It's obvious why some of
these were deleted, being vey long and pushing the boundaries of good taste in some cases. There is
entertaining commentary on these too; both informative and funny.

Waxing Doc />Yeah, a 'documentary' apparently. This basically just follows Carell as he prepares for the
dreaded waxing scene - he really did get his chest hair waxed. It's pretty funny, especially some
of the swears he makes up in pain.

Line-O-Rama
Basically just a montage of pieces
of improvisation on set. Mostly funny, sometimes missing the mark. There is some inspired genius on
here though.

My Dinner With Stormy
Oh my God, I can't believe this really
happened! Obviously not, this is a joke 'documentary' with Rogan meeting up with porn star Stormy
Daniels, who has a cameo in the film. Quite frankly, it's just odd.

Gag Reel
What
it says on the tin. Mostly pretty funny.

Trailers
Two trailers here, one for 'The
Skeleton Key', and one for 'Serenity'. The former looks awful, but the latter is a pretty good film,
with the trailer obviously emphasising on the action.

Easter Egg
There's an
easter egg to be found. You can access it by watching the DVD in a computer and highlighting the
image of Carell on the first page of special features. It's just another extended/deleted scene
called 'Whack It' (guess what it's about). It's not particularly funny, but okay, and comes with
another commentary, which is very welcome.

Overall:
An overrated, yet
pretty fun and entertaining film - both inoffensive and completely offensive at the same time. The
special features are also fun, though some serious extras would have been welcome. There is a 2 disc
version, however, that is currently only availabe on Region 1.
Film: 6/10
Extras:
5/10
Overall: 6/10

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