Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Why I hearted this movie (or, why this is the exception to my general dislike of romantic comedies):

1) JASON SEGEL. Star of two great shows, Freaks & Geeks and How I Met Your Mother, Jason Segel single-handedly (single-personed-ley?) makes this movie. He's a goofy yet brooding, sensitive, and big-hearted boyfriend dumped by his movie star girlfriend. In the always necessary convenient coincidence of the romantic comedy, he takes a vacation alone to Hawaii only to find his ex and her new boyfriend staying at the same resort. You as a viewer root so intensely for him to be happy because he's just so freaking likable and vulnerable. He's the Jim Halpert of movies.

2) MILA KUNIS: I'm not a huge fan of That 70s Show but when I do watch it, Jackie is one of my least favorite characters. Surprisingly, though, I really liked her in this movie. She's a confident, funny, and non-needy woman in contrast to Sarah Marshall, the narcissist and co-dependent. I loved when she tells Jason Segel to "stop being so sensitive."

3) DRACULA ROCK OPERA WITH PUPPETS: Jason Segel's character is a musician who writes tv scores, but he has a dream of writing a Dracula rock opera acted by puppets. It's a funny recurring joke throughout the movie, and in the end you finally get to see his masterpiece. I'd pay money to see that!

Unfortunately, the talented and beautiful Kristen Bell as Sarah Marshall is pretty bland in this movie. I think she is AAAAAAMAZING as Veronica Mars (and, gotta admit, as the voice of Gossip Girl) but this script does not leave her much room to become anything more than a one-dimensional character in skimpy clothes. Thankfully, there are some good cameos to distract you...Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and at the very very end, Jason Bateman for about five glorious seconds.