Ugh, I was really looking forward to seeing This Is 40, deemed as the “the sort-of sequel to Knocked Up,” the latter of which is one of my favorite movies. But alas, after the disappointment that was writer/director Judd Apatow’s last creation, Funny People, and after wishing his newest film had way more spark, I’ve lost faith in Apatow flicks. Gone is the sense of fun and silliness that pervaded Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. It seems like lately, Apatow is one cranky guy.

Leslie Mann (Apatow’s real-life wife) and Paul Rudd reprise their Knocked Up characters of Debbie and Pete, a married couple who have just turned 40 and aren’t really loving their lives. Sure, they have two kids and own a couple businesses (a struggling record label and a boutique where a character played by a lifeless Megan Fox works), but they lack spark in their marriage and a feeling of fulfillment in general. With work and family obligations taking up most of their time, they have very few one-on-one moments — and when they do, they’re usually not getting along.

Sounds formulaic, huh? That’s because it is. This Is 40 presented nothing groundbreaking in the mid-life crisis comedy genre, and while Debbie and Pete were stand-out supporting characters in Knocked Up, in this movie, all they made me want to do is never, ever have children since nothing positive seemed to come from them. Also, too much of this flick centered around Debbie and Pete’s relationships with their fathers, which was boring and annoying, since those characters were despicable, as well.

There was one stand-out funny scene in the movie, and, no surprise, it included a cameo by Bridesmaids knock-out Melissa McCarthy. It’s sad that’s the only thing I liked about it, but when all the characters populating your film leave you with nothing to cheer for, it’s hard to be invested in the action.

If you loved the female-centric raunchiness of Bridesmaids, you’ll definitely have a great time watching For a Good Time, Call… The new comedy starring Seth Rogen’s wife Lauren Miller, who also wrote the movie, is a sweet, charming and really funny film about friendship and making good money in today’s economy.

Miller takes her real name for her character, Lauren, a conservative gal who just got dumped out of a boring relationship and finds herself shacking up with her college frenemy, Katie (the sexy Ari Graynor). The pair only end up living together to save money, and their clashing values make them loathe each other as roommates.

After Lauren discovers Katie moonlights as a sex line operator, and after Lauren loses her “normal” job, she decides to help Katie with the business aspects of launching her own sex line. The pair start making thousands of dollars a week from turning guys on, and Lauren eventually lets her inner bad girl out and joins Katie on the lines, all while the two become closer as friends.

The script was so relatable (which is why the movie is comparable to Bridesmaids), and the story was really endearing because the characters, including the pair’s gay mutual friend played by Justin Long, were so rich and people you wanted to root for. The film might also make you question whether a job such as a phone sex operator is ethical or not, considering many men who call are in committed relationships themselves. The movie was laugh-out-loud funny throughout, and the world needs more hysterical comedies written by young females. I would go see For a Good Time, Call… again any day.

If you really want to leave a movie theater smiling, go see Ruby Sparks now. It is the best movie I’ve seen this year because of its charm and ability to really make you believe in love.

The film stars and was written by Zoe Kazan. Kazan is the real-life girlfriend of the other star, Paul Dano, who has shone in movies such as Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood. If you enjoyed 500 Days of Summer, this is a must-see, because it offers an honest look at romantic relationships, despite an out-of-this-world situation.

Dano plays Calvin, an author who achieved immense success with a best-seller when he was only 19. Despite his professional success, he suffers socially with no friends outside of his family, never mind a girlfriend.

After having recurring dreams about a captivating girl, he uses her as inspiration for his next book. The character, Ruby (Kazan), actually appears alive in his house someday — they’re in a relationship, and since everyone else in Calvin’s life can see Ruby, too, Calvin decides to go with the insanity and embrace Ruby as his real-life girlfriend.

When things start to turn sour in the relationship, Calvin tries to salvage things by adding words to his story. This idea backfires, though, and Calvin begins to realize that trying to craft the perfect relationship isn’t the best idea — it’s better to let things run their natural course.

Both the main characters are so charming, and their relationship and love for each other is so sweet and endearing even if it came from unusual circumstances. It was so nice to see a relatable leading lady, and it is wonderful that this young 28-year-old talent has written such a fun script with deep characters and a story that will pull you in. I think anyone would enjoy this really fun movie, which will ignite thoughts about what your own views on love and romance are.

Election Day is fast approaching, and to get you in the mood, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis have teamed up for a really funny movie about dirty politics, The Campaign.

Ferrell plays Cam Brady, the democratic incumbent for the North Carolina Senate race. He’s definitely not the best man for the job (he seems to be more interested in cheating on his wife than in voting on bills), but he’s a shoe-in because he’s running unopposed — that is, until a surprising new challenger named Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) enters the race.  Huggins, the son of a former politician, was hand-picked and groomed by the Motch brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow), a rich couple of guys who use politicians to make them more money. Huggins is everything Brady is not — while Brady is put-together and charming, Huggins and his family are in dire need of a makeover if he’s going to win. Thanks to his trainer, the still-smoking-at-50 and very humorous Dylan McDermott, Huggins goes from an awkward, sweet guy who uncannily resembles his beloved pugs to a bulldog of a politician, which alienates his tight-knit family but inches him closer to Brady in the polls.

There are so many memorable gems from the movie, including a stellar scene that has Huggins kids’ confessing their secrets before the campaign, and it’s really fun to watch the dichotomies of the families. Ferrell and Galifinakis play wonderfully against each other, and the script has created really fun characters to watch in absurd situations that may not really be all that off when it comes to our political process. The movie takes the political game to the extreme (at one point, Brady’s campaign includes ziplining onto the stage and features cheerleaders), and this may be the first time you’ll ever see a baby get punched in the face — it’s actually pretty epic.

If I had to compare The Campaign to any of Ferrell’s previous movies, it would be Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, because it features a really fun competition with ridiculous characters. It was fun to watch Ferrell almost play the straight man in the movie, and Galifnakis is always a blast to watch because he’s such a smart actor. Plus, any movie that features two adorable roly-poly pugs in it is a winner in my book.