"Funny People" **1/2 (out of four): This isn't the type of comedy we've come to expect from Judd Apatow. And that's fine. But while this labor-of-love is at times bittersweet and raucously funny, it's also an over-long, meandering mess.

Early in "Funny People" - the latest from comedy wunderkind Judd Apatow - comedian George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is diagnosed with a terminal illness. After receiving the news, George's subsequent stand-up act takes a turn for the maudlin, causing an audience member to remark, "Wow, George Simmons is getting dark." The same might be said of Mr. Apatow. The writer-director of "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" has been heralded as ushering in a new generation of feeling-man's comedy. One that has spawned such bro-friendly fare as "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "I Love You, Man". So audiences can be forgiven for feeling confused during "Funny People". This isn't the Judd Apatow we've come to know and love. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, "Funny People" isn't enough of a step in a new direction. If anything, it wanders around for a while flirting with deeper themes, occasionally dipping back into the familiar comedy trough (when in doubt, say "balls").

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