Trailer Talk: Apatow's 'This is 40' Tries to Reclaim Comedy King Crown

The man who gave us a 40-year old virgin and a pair of superbad teens is growing up. Sort of.

“This is 40,” hitting theaters in December, marks Judd Apatow’s fourth time as a writer/director. But since unleashing the brilliant “Virgin” on audiences in 2005, he’s used most of his time producing comedies. Take away “Bridesmaids,” and Apatow’s golden touch has turned to tin of late.

This past weekend’s flop, “The Five-Year Engagement,” underscores that reality.

So there’s plenty riding on “This is 40,” which follows the couple (Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann) introduced in Apatow’s 2007 comedy “Knocked Up.”

The trailer is certifiably funny, a cautious blend of gross out material and observational humor. But it’s not a gut buster. Maybe that’s the point. Comedy writers can’t live and die by diahrrea sequences alone. “This is 40” could let Apatow age more or less gracefully on screen, while letting him still get away with the occasional shock gag.