Still not funny...

I've been thinking about Funny People for part of the day while i was at work and i have a good comparison for the movie. Here's my weird and possibly inappropriate analogy.
1. When I saw 40 Year Old Virgin I was blown away by the movie. Didn't know what to expect and I totally loved it. I thought it would be fun, but had no idea what to expect. The whole experience is just overwhelming positive and more than you originally expected. I had never heard of Apatow and my love affair developed there.
That's just like when you hook up with a random girl at the bars and its awesome. She's the friend of a friend, sort of like how I should have known Apatow from Adam McKay (Anchorman), and you really hit it off. You end up having a wild, really unforgettable night, except for the parts you forget because you were drunk, and you're left wanting more. I mean you're just meeting this girl and you think maybe you score a number, but instead you leave without your shirt. In both cases you want more.
2. I had very high expectations for Knocked Up. Wasn't wild about the premise, but i had faith. Just like when you hang out with that first girl again you're super excited to rekindle the magic. For me, Knocked Up was a bit of a let down but flew very high. It was different from 40 Year Old Virgin, but only because it could never be exactly the same. Just like with the girl, the second experience can be awesome, except you can't recreate that first time and maybe you're a little less drunk so you remember it a little more realistically.
3. You hang out with that girl on a date and she falls way short. Maybe it's all the pressure this time around, because by the third time you wonder where things are going or maybe it's just because you're both not drunk. Well like that awkward date, Apatow's Funny People was a festering turd that failed to meet expectations. Granted the bar was set high.
Possible 4. After failed expectations Apatow rises to the occassion. I could foresee the girl and guy hitting it off again if they got back in their comfort zone. Have to wait and see
(Disclaimer: I know nothing about women)

Some Funny People, but eh...

I wanted to love Funny People. I thought I would love it. I had no reason to doubt I would love it.
Boy I did not like Funny People.
Parts were particularly hilarious, but they were out weighed by the constant dribble in the movie that led to me attempting, not once, but twice, a nap in the movie theater.
The movie has an interesting premise, like everything Apatow creates, but the story falls flat. The plot meanders around aimlessly and halfway through the movie you begin to doubt you'll end up anywhere meaningful. Hold on to that feeling, because it's the right one.
As George Simmons, Adam Sandler creates an interesting enough character. Unfortunately, though, he is beyond saving. There is no final redemption for Simmons, and maybe this darker turn was Apatow's intention, but it makes for an unappealing dramedy.
Seth Rogen seems very restrained in his role, and I wonder if he was the best actor for his part. As for the his roommates, played by Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman, they steal basically every scene they're in.
The movie is over 2 hours and 20 minutes long, and it feels that long. At least 45 minutes could have been cut out and the film wouldn't have lost anything.
Also, I had some big problems with Leslie Mann's character. You watch the movie and you can tell that something is off. She's not a real person. She speaks like a real person and articulates the ideas of a real person, but her actions are fake. This is a shame for Apatow, who normally creates realistic characters that the audience can easily relate to.
I'm not saying I was hoping for the Fifty year old virgin or anything like that, as I was excited for a more complicated story from Apatow, but this movie falls way short. It definitely swings for the fences, and parts of the film ar hilarious, but on the whole it's a waste of time.