DVD Review: 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Collector’s Edition'

Published: October 3, 2008

The plot for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is suspiciously commonplace: Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) has his heart stomped by crime drama star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell), so he hops a plane to Hawaii to escape his sorrow only to find Sarah and her rebound rock star, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), staying at the same resort. Sounds like Kate Hudson/Dane Cook celluloid detritus, but "Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is one of the smartest comedies to spin out of Judd Apatow’s acid-tongued universe.

"Sarah Marshall” owes much of its success to Segel’s caffeinated script, which is delivered by a spot-on ensemble including Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, Tulsa native Bill Hader and former "That ’70s Show” star Mila Kunis, who plays Rachel Jansen, the sharp-witted and gorgeous resort worker who revives Peter’s desire to live. The comic energy never lags, seemingly broad characters show surprising depth, and to top it off, there’s an all-puppet vampire musical and Segel’s unsettling full-frontal nudity.

This three-DVD collection is uncommonly rich with extras — director Nicholas Stoller clearly presided over an inspired cast that had far too much fun to fit into one movie.

— George Lang

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