Take a stab at Sarah

Forgetting Sarah Marshall opens with a shot of Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) looking in the mirror as he flexes his pecs.

"Good for you," he says to himself with a smirk. "Good for you."

And then he gets naked. OK, some stuff happens in between, but be warned - arrive late to the movie and you'll miss the first (and second, and third) shots of Segel's penis. Lucky for you, those shots aren't the last.

Yes, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is filled with Segel in the buff, and it's just the way he likes it. At least, it must be, considering he wrote the script. All the pieces are in place for the latest star turn from the School of Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) to make his big-screen splash - Apatow serves as producer and the supporting cast includes Mila Kunis (Family Guy), Kristen Bell (Heroes), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), Jonah Hill (Horton Hears a Who!) and Paul Rudd (Over Her Dead Body) - yet there's something missing, and it keeps the film from reaching Knocked Up or Superbad status.

In the film, Segel plays Peter Bretter, the devoted boyfriend of television star Sarah Marshall (Bell). Sarah stars in the fictional NBC drama Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime alongside Billy Baldwin, who does a spot-on David Caruso impression in the film's mock scenes of the show. Peter composes the show's music, but his real dream is the Dracula rock opera - with puppets - he's been writing in his spare time.

In the aforementioned first scene, Sarah comes home to a just-showered Peter and proceeds to break up with him because she's been seeing someone else. Peter is devastated, and eventually, under the guidance of his stepbrother Brian (Hader), decides a vacation to Hawaii would be a good way to clear his mind.

And upon arriving in Hawaii, who is it Peter runs into? Sarah, who is vacationing at the same hotel Peter is, of course. But unlike Peter, Sarah isn't alone - she's with her new beau, British rock star Aldous Snow (musician Russell Brand) of the band Infant Sorrow. Peter doesn't leave, however - he decides to stay as a test of his own willpower.

So, Peter has to balance vacation with awkwardness as he tries to have a good time in Hawaii - alone. He befriends the hotel employees, especially Rachel (Kunis), the girl at the front desk. And eventually, he starts getting over Sarah, although having her and Aldous there doesn't exactly help.

The film's strength comes from Segel; he's likable as always, and here plays a character similar to his roles in Freaks and Geeks and How I Met Your Mother. He manages to carry most of the film with just the right touch of sensitivity and wit; watching him cry about Sarah over and over again can get a bit frustrating, though.

The supporting cast is fine, but other than Jack McBrayer's (30 Rock) scene-stealing role as a newlywed virgin who isn't enjoying consummating his marriage, the performances are mostly sub-par. It's nice to see Kunis break out of That '70s Show, but she doesn't do too much with it. Rudd, however, is wonderful as always, dropping deadbeat lines as Chuck (Kunu in Hawaiian), the hotel's surf instructor. Only Rudd can drop knowledge such as "When life gives you lemons, just say f--- the lemons and bail," so earnestly. It's also a shame to see Hill so underused as a waiter obsessed with Aldous.

Yet the film does have one instantly memorable bit on its side: Peter's Dracula rock opera. Hearing Peter sing as a tormented Dracula who just wants to be loved is priceless, especially with the conviction he brings to it. It may seem silly, but he's so sincere that it actually makes something so goofy kind of powerful.

The problem with Forgetting Sarah Marshall is it doesn't really bring anything new to the genre. It's a likable enough comedy that it's worth checking out, but it doesn't offer much more than one might expect from the promos. It's funny throughout, crude or sentimental at times and furthers the message of accepting someone for who they are. The problem for Segel - who deserves credit as a leading man and writer - is that audiences have seen it all before.

rudi.greenberg@gmail.com

RATING: 3.5 STARS OUT OF 5