Funny People isn’t as bad as I’ve others say it is. It’s not bad at all in my opinion, it’s just not The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which is probably why most Judd Apatow fans are scratching their heads wondering what’s up with his third directorial effort.

First off, Funny People is like a post-teen in that awkward transition between adolescence and maturity. On the one hand the film tries to take itself seriously with characters who by all means are usually not taken very seriously (they’re comedians, after all) and a story about death and lost love, while at the same time falling back on dick jokes and awkward moments in order to provoke LOL moments from the audience. It’s a weird – though not at all unpleasant – sensation for awhile.

And when I say “awhile” that’s where the problems start. The lengthy running time (two and a half hours) seemed too long for a movie like this, and a good twenty minutes or so could’ve easily been cut with similar effect. I’m not one to complain about how long a movie is, but it works against Funny People in this case.

The other problem comes from the blatant transition that comes about in the middle of the film. Whereas the first half is dark and broody (with a touch of typical Seth Rogen hijinks), the latter half turns into some kind of weird romantic comedy… with unromantic romance and not much in the way of comedy. Sorry to say, but I just didn’t see anything between Adam Sandler and Leslie Mann, and the resolution of their part of the story left me a bit cold.

Otherwise though, I really have to applaud Judd Apatow for Funny People. Adam Sandler actually plays his part surprisingly well, and is supported by familiar faces. The stand-up segments are hilarious (wish there was more footage though … maybe when the DVD comes out), as are the cameos by people like Ray Romano, Eminem, Andy Dick, and others.

Not his best work, but still a better film than I anticipated.