So we didn’t get around to seeing Funny People in the theaters, but thanks to Netflix, we got it pretty soon after it came out on DVD. And now that we’ve seen it, I’m sort of glad we didn’t waste $22 on seeing it on the big screen.

I love the Judd Apatow flicks, and not just the ones that had his name attached to it, like Superbad and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but the ones that he wrote and directed, like The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Those two movies are hysterically funny, have great stories, and actually have some heart in them as well. Funny People seemed like it was trying to be really dramatic, but in the end, it didn’t feel all that funny or that sad.

Don’t get me wrong – it had some very funny parts, as all of the Apatow movies do. And if I had lower expectations, I might have been pleasantly surprised. But a few chuckles here and there is just disappointing for a man as brilliant and funny as Judd Apatow.

And the heart? This is a story about a man who is told he’s dying in the first few minutes of the movie, but you never really feel all that bad for him. He’s not particularly likable, and while he learns a little on his journey, in the end he still just comes across as a jerk who really learned very little from his ordeal.

And I saw many other complaints about this, but it really is true: the movie was way too long. It clocks in at around two and a half hours, and it certainly feels like it could have used some heavy editing. The whole visit to his ex’s house played for a really long time. And if that was supposed to be the crux of the whole movie, that’s fine, but then the stuff beforehand could have been cut down drastically.

I read in interviews that this was a very personal story for Judd, so I feel kind of bad for picking it apart. And like I said, he is the victim of having set the bar insanely high for himself; his track record with TV shows and movies is pretty unrivaled. Usually after seeing one of his movies, I immediately want to see it again. With Funny People, I just didn’t have that reaction. Oh well, I guess no one bats 1.000.