Very Funny 'Virgin'

I have seen the funniest movie of the summer, if not the entire year. And no, it's not "Wedding Crashers."

It's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," which arrives in theaters nationwide on Friday. The title suggests this movie will be yet another gratuitous raunch-a-thon that cares more about grossing out its viewers than truly entertaining them. But in the hilarious hands of star and co-writer Steve Carell (formerly of "The Daily Show") and writer-director Judd Apatow (producer of TV gems "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared," which debuted on DVD yesterday), "Virgin" blooms into a smart, adult and even sweet-natured comedy. As amusing as "Wedding Crashers" was, this flick is five times funnier.

Before the Vince Vaughn Viper Squad descends upon me, let me qualify my previous statement. I enjoyed "Wedding Crashers," particularly Mr. Vaughn's performance. But, apart from the priceless cameo by a certain "Old School" star, it never surprised me. I really appreciate a comedy when its humor hits me from a place outside my peripheral vision, so I don't see the laughs coming. Throughout "Wedding Crashers," I felt like I always knew exactly where the movie was headed. As charming as it was, it also was pretty conventional.

"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" isn't exactly forging new cinematic territory either. But many of the best lines -- including delicious, good-natured jabs at Coldplay, the movie "Jade" and Michael McDonald -- demonstrate just how clever the screenplay is. Frankly, any film that has the courage to make a "Yah Mo B There" joke is nearly genius in my book. Plus it's great to see Carell mixing it up in a leading role -- one that surely won't be his last -- and supported by the delightful likes of Catherine Keener, Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd.

At a running time of almost two hours, the movie drags on a little longer than it should. But I left the theater laughing. In fact, as I write this, I'm still laughing. "Yah Mo B There" ... that song never stops being funny.

-- Jen