Nice end product; often ridiculously funny

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2006)

On a poker night with three bawdy colleagues, the geeky toy-collector Andy (Steve Carell, where have you been?) reluctantly reveals that he has never done the dirty. Thus, they begin a mission to get this 40-year-old virgin laid and efforts such as chest-waxing, dating services and loose women ensue. This is harder than it sounds, because Andy isn't exactly Casanova. He rides a bicycle to work. He collects action-figures. He talks to his action figures.
I never quite prepared myself for just how funny The 40 Year Old Virgin was. The dialogue is some of the most dynamic, quick, interactive and downright hysterical I have ever heard in a comedy, and this elevates the whole film above generic formula. Carell brings refreshing charisma and comedic timing to his performance, and I have never heard a funnier, better screamer since Macalauy Culkin in Home Alone ("I'm SHY!!!"). It is also nice to see Paul Rudd back in comedy action, as I greatly missed this guy when he seemed to depart from fame post-Clueless. Someone else whose comedic skills are worthy of a great deal of praise is Romany Malco, playing Andy's friend and pimp, always there to facilitate his mission, but always ending up making things worse. It is these three men that, when combined, are so funny that they just take my breath away.
The only negative aspect to The 40 Year Old Virgin (aside from its philosophy that you can't be happy unless you're in a relationship) is that it is much too long. It has been said before yes, but there is a reason it has been brought up so much and that is because a raunchy sex comedy just does not hold up for 120 minutes. As the novelty of the fun dialogue and sexy situations wore off, I became less and less engrossed in the film. And let's not talk about the final sing-and-dance number. Just... please. 7/10