A pleasant surprise, The 40 Year Old Virgin stands apart from other gross out comedies mainly because of how it deals with the films main theme.

Steve Carrell stars as Andy, a 40 year old stock supervisor at an electronic store. When he is ousted as a virgin by his colleagues, they decide to help him out by offering various advice on how to finally score, only for Andy to fall for single mother Trish (Catherine Keener), who has decided to base their relationship on having no sex before their 20th date.

Where most films would run out of steam half way by banging out the same ol' dick and fart jokes, Judd Apatow and Steve Carrell have written a script which is extremely hilarious, but also sensitive to the lead character's dilemma, while not resorting to too much sap.

With Steve Carrell comes a new force in American comedy. Not as awkward as Ben Stiller, nor as over the top as Jim Carrey, Carrell portrays Andy very much like a geeky teenager, pushing sex and other life changing experiences aside for collectibles and video games.

The whole basis of the film is about a man who has never taken risks in his life and how he reacts when he is placed in situations that he would have never pursued on his own, if not for the (at times) good intentions of his friends. This is where the hilarity ensues.

On the flipside is the romance between Andy and Trish, which perfectly counters the fun had with the boys (Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco). Keener gives a great performance as Andy's girlfriend, providing spunk while not losing any of her undeniable charm and sexuality. Her character being a single mother of three gives a sense of realism.

A romantic comedy for a new generation that can be enjoyed by both male and female, adults and teenagers, The 40 Year Old Virgin is the swift kick in the butt that the genre needed.