Why The 40-Year-Old Virgin Made My Day

Andy Stilzer seems to have a fairly good life. He works for an electronics superstore. He has a nice apartment well furnished with priceless action figures and a modest bedroom. His friends are honest and loyal people who seem to have the best intentions most of the time. However, there is something about Andy that is a little different than all the other guys at work, and all the other guys in general. At forty years old, Andy is still a virgin.

Andy (played by Steve Carrell) lets his secret slip at a late-night poker game with all of the guys. This begins the adventure that he and his co-workers embark on to get him laid. From hitting the bars and clubs late at night to look for drunken patrons, to going to a speed-dating event and having a close encounter with ex-lesbians and girlfriends, Andy and his friends never miss a beat.

As with most comedies, there are plenty of cliche' ridden moments, but most are done with taste, and there is enough genuine and original comic material in this film to make up for most of that.

Carrell himself does a great job playing Andy. Being that he is naturally awkward even coming from films such as 'Anchorman' and shows like 'The Daily Show', he has no problem portraying the somewhat childlike characteristics of Andy as he struggles to find true love.

His supporting cast could have been a little stronger, but there was a solid crew nonetheless. Very reminiscent of a 'Half-Baked' group of friends more than anything else. Each person has their own stereotype, and they play that card until it cannot be played any longer.

While that delves more back into the more cliche' points of the movie, it's not a glaring attribute, and is usually timed well enough that it doesn't seem like a plea for someone to find them funny.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is definitely successful in most of the areas that a comedy needs to do well in. The entire film is light-hearted, even when sometimes the subject is of a serious nature. There isn't any moments that are too sappy, so that by the end of the film you aren't a roller-coaster of emotions.

However, the film does manage to pull off a nice romantic story as well as an adolescent aim of humor. There are some parts that drag out, and some things that are obviously pulled straight from the textbook as far as comedy goes, but they can be overlooked most of the time.

In conclusion, 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' is worth a rent, and for fans of films such as 'Anchorman' and of Steve Carrell in general, it's a must-own, as the DVD is packed with different special features that are even more hilarious than the movie.