In the latest film from funny-guy director and writer Judd Apatow, This Is 40 portrays a middle-class, suburban family struggling with marriage and financial problems who attempt to create better habits and live a better life. However, the film’s pacing, uninteresting characters, and whiplash between comedy and drama yields only a mediocre film.

At the start of the “sort-of sequel” to Knocked Up, we are introduced to Pete (Paul Rudd) and Debbie (Leslie Mann), who have been married for roughly 15 years. They have two girls, a 14-year-old and very hormonal Sadie, and a younger daughter Charlotte (played by Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow’s real life daughters, Maude and Iris Apatow, respectively). The film begins by highlighting the problems Pete and Debbie are having, which are mainly from the lack of romantic passion and daily grind in their lives after 15 years of marriage. Debbie takes it upon herself, with the support of Pete, to make positive changes in their daily lives: doctor checkups, eating healthier, exercising, limiting the amount of electronics and internet their children are allowed to use, etc. However, once they start to try and improve their lives, their marriage begins to fall through a downward spiral.

This Is 40 is not one of Apatow’s best films, but it’s not his worst, either. The first third of the movie is laugh-out-loud funny, but continuously becomes less funny as the film progresses. The screenplay has emotional ups and downs between lighthearted and dramatic moments, parallel to the highs and lows of Debbie and Pete’s marriage problems. Marriages do understandably have highs and lows, but the writing jerked the audience back and forth between the two genres frequently and too quickly, which made it difficult to connect with the characters.

Maude and Iris Apatows’ individual performances were less than stellar, but their dynamic acting together as sisters was fantastic (this probably has a lot to do with the fact that they actually are sisters). They completely nailed the dynamic of a hormonal older sister, who is too cool to play with an annoying, carefree younger sister. Most of the film is told from the view point of Debbie and Pete, however, there are a few instances when it shows the child’s perspective in a somewhat dysfunctional family – which nicely added a few deep moments to an Apatow film, which are typically overall pretty light. Melissa McCarthy also makes a few, brief appearances, and her performance was without a doubt one of the biggest highlights of the film overall, leaving the audience wishing she had a larger role. Jason Segel, Megan Fox, and Chris O’Dowd also have small supporting roles, and their performances were a nice distraction from the low parts of the film.

This Is 40 pokes fun at reality, the highs and lows of marriage, exemplifies growing pains of two sisters, and demonstrates the real hardships of the current economy. While at times extremely hilarious, This Is 40 has ordinary, uninteresting, and whiny characters that are difficult to connect with to due to the jerky screenplay.

Grade: C+

Rated: R (for sexual content, crude humor, pervasive language and some drug material)

This Is 40 opens in theaters on December 21, 2012.