3. Judd Apatow & Leslie Mann
Granted Apatow has his fans and likes to use a recurring cast, the Apatow/ Mann partnership feels the least funny of them all. Mann was funny enough in The 40 Year Old Virgin and certainly peaked in Knocked Up, but post '07 their collaboration has felt increasingly tired with every film. The same jokes, the same delivery and generally speaking the same character (or in the case of This Is 40 and Knocked Up
exactly the same character), all point to the fact that Apatow and Mann have and continue to stand on their laurels. Even looking beyond the recycled humour, the Apatow/ Mann partnership is only worsened by the fact in recent times they have unsteadily charted the waters of drama. Their dramadies now have the hallmarks of being unfunny and unmoving (assuming that was their initial objective). As far as creative collaboration is concerned, it might be time for a divorce.