I was anticipating that the latestJudd Appatowmovie would be funny, considering that he had assembled the likes of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aziz Ansari, and, of course, Adam Sandler, to be in the flick. And that didn't take into account the cameos by Ray Romano, Andy Dick, Sarah Silverman, Norm McDonald, and Paul Reiser. But this is a serious film, too, as Sandler's comedian, George Simmons, finds himself diagnosed with life-threatening cancer, and sets out to see the world differently, with the help of his new assistant, Ira (Rogen). But life doesn't always play out the way we expect it to.

Sandler and Rogen are hilarious, vulgar, and clever. And not necessarily in that order. But they will make you laugh, and even another Apatow veteran, Leslie Mann as Simmons' long lost love Laura, has the opportunity and personality to make you laugh out loud. I felt guilty a few times, but the laughter is real even if they're being profane and ridiculous. But don't get confused about this film: it's not just for laughs.

Sandler's Simmons is a man on a mission, to right wrongs, confess sins, and somehow make peace with his impending death. That gets played out over a "farewell tour" and finds us laughing, while reflecting on the questions of life, death, and the hereafter. It's certainly not what I would have expected from Sandler, even with Spanglish and Punch-Drunk Love to look back at for comparison. Other comedians might have balked at this, a cross between serious and silly, but somehow Apatow and Sandler pull it off while asking the audience how we will be remembered and what it means to really live.

Jesus told his disciples that sometimes you have to lose your life to find it, and that holds true for Simmons and his cadre of comedian friends in the midst of another Apatow film. There's never a dull moment here, but you'll find yourself asking the same questions, and exploring the possibility that to truly live, you must first change your life.