Wanderlust Wanders Out of Lust

Just that fact that a Judd Apatow comedy starring Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston came out a year ago and I didn't see it until now is scary.

I don't miss Rudd movies. Or Apatow. And Aniston is difficult not to love.

But my instincts were right. Wanderlust simply isn't very good. Sure, it's fun at times. And the sight of watching Rudd (and Aniston) trying to join a hippie cult is irresistible in small doses.

Highlights include Alan Alda as a four-decader in Georgia's hippie commune Elysium. He constantly recites the list of names of his fellow founders. Rudd and Aniston end up there after things in New York and Atlanta don't work out. Rudd's scene speaking to himself in the mirror to pump himself up for the free-love lifestyle is classic. Two supporting actors (Rudd's potential love interest, played by Malin Akerman, and his jerk brother, a high-strung and racist Ken Marino) are about as hilarious as they are on the excellent Comedy Central show Children's Hospital.

But too much of the humor and plot wander. The movie doesn't really go anywhere, and the near-impossible task of not really caring about Rudd and Aniston is almost entirely accomplished.

**1/2 out of ***** stars

No Judd Apatow Fatigue with This is 40

At some point, Judd Apatow fatigue has GOT to set in. His list (see below) of producer, director, and writer credits arguably make him among the very top comedy minds ... not just of this era, but of all time.

The fatigue hasn't set in yet with This is 40 (and it's not likely to in 2013, with Anchorman 2 on the way and almost guaranteed to be a smash).

Picking up where they left off in 2007's Knocked Up, Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters continue as the happily married couple with typical mid-life issues.

His production of Graham Parker's album isn't going so well and her clothes shop has its own struggles. There are moments when This is 40 could be funnier, and it's certainly a little too long, but this is highly watchable entertainment.

Rudd and Parker are both impossible not to love. (Parker, whose 1982 song "Temporary Beauty," unfortunately not included in the soundtrack, is one of my all-time favorites. It's an MTV classic that is better than anything Elvis Costello ever did.)

With a slew of cameos, the best ones are Melissa McCarthy, Megan Fox, AlbertBrooks, John Lithgow, and Jason Segel.

***1/2 out of ***** stars

(The following list of Apatow's movies doesn't even count TV shows he's been involved with such as Freaks and Geeks, The Ben Stiller Show, and Girls.)

Year	Film
		Director	Producer	Writer	Actor
1992	Crossing the Bridge	No	Yes	No	No
1995	Heavyweights	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
1996	Celtic Pride	No	Yes	Yes	No
	The Cable Guy	No	Yes	Yes	No
2004	Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy	No	Yes	No	Yes
	Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie	No	Yes	No	Yes
2005	Kicking & Screaming	No	Yes	No	No
	The 40-Year-Old Virgin	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Fun with Dick and Jane	No	Yes	Yes	No
2006	The TV Set	No	Yes	No	No
	Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby	No	Yes	No	No
2007	Knocked Up	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
	Superbad	No	Yes	No	No
	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story	No	Yes	Yes	No
2008	Drillbit Taylor	No	Yes	No	No
	Forgetting Sarah Marshall	No	Yes	No	No
	You Don't Mess with the Zohan	No	No	Yes	No
	Step Brothers	No	Yes	No	No
	Pineapple Express	No	Yes	No	No
2009	Year One	No	Yes	No	No
	Funny People	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
2010	Get Him to the Greek	No	Yes	No	No
2011	Bridesmaids	No	Yes	No	No
	Zookeeper	No	No	No	Yes
2012	Wanderlust	No	Yes	No	No
	The Five-Year Engagement	No	Yes	No	No
	Mansome[62]	No	No	No	Yes
	This Is 40	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
2013	Can a Song Save Your Life?[63]	No	Yes	No	No
	Anchorman 2[64]	No	Yes	No	No