They’re back! The comedy troupe led by producer extraordinaire Judd Apatow—the troupe that brought us The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Superbad—has returned with their latest raunchy romp, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Just as Knocked Up transformed Seth Rogen into a leading man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall propelled Jason Segel (Rogen’s best bud in Knocked) to leading man status. I suppose you could argue that the role was written with him in mind, considering he also wrote the script.

Segel plays Peter Bretter, the musical score composer for a hit television show who is currently dating the show’s titular rising star, Sarah Marshall. Unfortunately, Sarah has met someone new. Encouraged by his brother Brian (another Apatow regular, Bill Hader), Peter decides to take a vacation in order to erase Sarah from his mind. Unfortunately, he has the deplorable luck of picking the exact same Hawaiian resort as Sarah and her new beau, the flashy, over-sexed pop star Aldous Snow. As you’d expect, chaos and comedy quickly ensue.

That’s really about all the plot description you need for this film; but don’t let that brief summary fool you: this comedy—unlike the rambling Superbad—actually has a workable plot line. I would say that this is the movie that the Farelly Brothers’ The Heartbreak Kid should have been—just another example that the comedy torch has been passed from the guys who previously set the bar with There’s Something About Mary. One remaining character who should also be mentioned is the hotel concierge Rachel, an exotic local who starts out feeling sorry for Peter but soon begins to feel something else for him.

I wouldn’t quite say that Segel is a revelation here, but the fact that this movie succeeds so well owes a lot to him as an actor. Segel is in nearly every scene of this two-hour film; and despite his rather lackadaisical acting style, the audience never tires of seeing him and actually buys into his plight. He succeeds by not trying to do too much, allowing the jokes and story to develop around him. His comic timing is terrific.

As a screenwriter, Segel does an excellent job of providing constant laughs, while still managing to keep the story moving forward. He also does a good job of avoiding giving his own character too many laughs and instead providing the usual Apatow supporting crew Hader, Jonah Hill, and the always-terrific Paul Rudd with many of the films best lines… many at Peter’s expense.

Of course, the ultimate measuring stick for a comedy is whether or not it makes you laugh. Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but this is probably the most I’ve laughed at the cinema since Grindhouse last year. Whether the gag involves a sex joke—as many do—or a simple pun, they are all on the mark and delivered brilliantly by this terrific cast. Succeeding where Walk Hard failed, Sarah Marshall even mines some humor from full frontal male nudity.

As funny as this movie is, however, it is certainly not for everyone. Already the sexual content in The 40 Year Old Virgin and even Knocked Up looks tame in comparison. This is not your grandfather’s, mother’s, or even your older cousin’s romantic comedy.

If you plan to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I highly recommend making it to the theater, preferably a busy weekend showing. Movies like this tend to be ten times funnier with an audience as most people are far less self-conscious when in the middle of a big group. Whether or not a comedy becomes a classic is usually defined by its ability to make you laugh out loud by yourself at home, but there will be plenty of time to find that out later. In the meantime, go laugh out loud, slap your knee and—if you feel like—go right ahead and roll around in that aisle.

This has turned into a fairly wordy review for a movie that only needs one: hilarious.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is rated R for “sexual content, language and some graphic nudity.” That’s putting it mildly. There are graphic sex scenes aplenty, lots of foul language, and the aforementioned full-frontal nudity. Go prepared.

Courtesy of a local publicist, Jeff attended a promotional screening of Forgetting Sarah Marshall.