# The odds that Forgetting Sarah Marshall will be any good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530 "2008-04-16T01:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/1 "2008-04-16T01:33:53Z")
_40 Year Old Virgin_, _Knocked Up_, and _Superbad_ all looked iffy judging by the trailers that preceded them, but having seen them they have become three of my favorite movies. The majority of the humor in these movies were not suitable to be aired on television, hence the rather “meh” reaction to the trailers and TV spots. Now, perhaps the upcoming _Forgetting Sarah Marshall_ is following that same path, trailers that make me go “meh” but after giving it a shot it turns out to be a good movie. What worries me is that they’re advertising this movie as “from the people who brought you _Knocked Up_, and _The 40 Year Old Virgin_!” Which is completely false. Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen seem to have absolutely no connection to this movie. The director, Nicholas Stoller, and the writer, Jason Segel, were in no way involved in the creative process that went into 40YOV, Knocked Up or Superbad, with the exception of the fact that Jason had a minor role in Knocked Up and both of them seem to have some connection to _Undeclared_ and _Freaks and Geeks_. So what do you think? Anyone gonna give this a chance? ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/2 "2008-04-16T01:51:49Z")
[QUOTE=Soapbox Monkey] Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen seem to have absolutely no connection to this movie. [/QUOTE] According to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_Sarah_Marshall), Judd Apatow is one of the producers… ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/3 "2008-04-16T02:08:57Z")
Unlike 40YOV, Knocked up and Superbad, this film looks like a pretty generic “average late 20-something slacker’s super hot girlfriend breaks up with himfor a better looking, richer guy and he spends the rest of the film trying to win her back until finding a girl who truly loves him”. The cast could have just as easily been replaced with: Slacker Guy: Ben Stiller Ashton Kutcher Adam Sandler Jerry OConnell Chris ODonnel Ryan Reynolds Owen Wilson Luke Wilson John Cusack Matthew McConaughey Vince Vaughn Ron Livingston Mark Ruffalo Girlfriends: Jennifer Anniston Jennifer Garner Jennifer Lopez Amanda Peet Cameron Diaz Christina Applegate Uma Thermon Bridgitte Wilson Catherine Zeta Jones Amy Smart Richer/cooler/better looking jerk: Dermot Mulroney Patrick Dempsey Owen Wilson Luke Wilson Hank Azaria Carey Elwes …you get the idea ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/4 "2008-04-16T02:14:23Z")
I tend to like everything Apatow and Co. put out so I have high hopes for this one. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/5 "2008-04-16T02:35:07Z")
“From the people who wished they had made _Knocked Up_, _Superbad_ and _The 40 Year Old Virgin!_” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/6 "2008-04-16T03:23:46Z")
I saw an advanced screening of the movie and I really liked it and will probably go see it again. I would rate it as better than Knocked Up and Superbad, and about equal with 40-Year-Old Virgin. And if you don’t believe me, right now it has [87% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/forgetting_sarah_marshall/). Also, it had one thing that no other movie has:selections from an all puppet Dracula musical! Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who likes R-rated comedies. (As long as you don’t mind a few full frontal male nudity shots.) ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/7 "2008-04-16T05:33:15Z")
Saw the trailer, wasn’t impressed. Saw the film, loved it. Plan to see it again because I missed a few line because I was laughing so hard. On rare occasions, I laugh so hard at a film that I actually get an endorphin rush. This film had one of those moments (and a movie ticket is cheaper, safer and less addictive than crack or extreme sports). I’ll agree that it’s in the same class as “40 Year Old Virgin” and recomend it to anyone who likes other Judd Apatow branded films. He really is producing his own genre of “grown-up sex comedy”. ---
**Author:** ![Pollux\_Oil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/858c86/32.png) [@Pollux\_Oil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pollux_Oil)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/8 "2008-04-16T06:04:13Z")
I was actually feeling pretty meh towards it myself, but it’s been getting pretty good reviews. I liked Superbad but I only thought 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up were okay. I’m getting kind of confused now because it seems like anything Apatow puts his name on is being touted as “from the guys that brought you X!” It’s kind of like when they advertised Hostel as something like “brought to you by Quentin Tarantino.” It’s more they’re sponsoring a movie to get more people to see it rather than actually having anything to do with the movie itself. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/9 "2008-04-16T06:11:41Z")
Apatow really is developing a rock solid reputation as someone who can put out movies that are funny, slightly immature, and yet realistic and very human. Everything with his name attached to it has turned out to be pretty good so far. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/10 "2008-04-16T14:36:54Z")
I’m usually getting annoyed with producers names being used as tag-lines…but Apatow is an exception. He really has defined a new style of comedy and deserves credit for it. Without him, I don’t think “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, “Superbad” or “Knocked Up” would have gotten made. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/11 "2008-04-16T14:52:46Z")
I figured Mila Kunis’ presence would doom this movie, as practically every movie that she’s been in has been awful. Perhaps the Apatow Effect \> Mila Kunis Effect. Or perhaps Jason Segel & Kristen Bell override the Mila Kunis Effect. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/12 "2008-04-23T22:31:13Z")
I did like the scene from the trailer when the Superbad kid at was like “We have a loner! No…just clear off the other side! It’s one man!!” ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-odds-that-forgetting-sarah-marshall-will-be-any-good/445530/13 "2008-04-23T22:58:52Z")
Part of the Apatow technique is hiring brilliant improvisers and shooting a huge amount of film (Apatow’s probably keeping Kodak in business). They may have shot a dozen variations of that scene with Jonah Hill doing different stuff every time. Makes for wonderful DVD extras. I’d love to see one of these films with the alternate scenes utilizing the “angle” feature of the DVD.