4 out of 5 Dracula puppets

Woody Allen, Stanley Kubrick, Mel Brooks, M. Night Shyamalan. These men have more in common than being celebrated directors: they’re brands. Having their name attached to a movie gives it a kind of guarantee of quality, and, while that promise is not always fulfilled (“Lady in the Water,” anyone?), it usually ensures an audience. It now seems it’s time to add a new name to the roster of directors/tastemakers, and that name is Judd Apatow.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is the latest comedy with the Apatow name attached (he produced). But while Apatow gets the name recognition, this movie is the brainchild of Jason Segel, a familiar face to the legion of Apatow acolytes for his work in “Freaks and Geeks” and “Knocked Up.” Segel, who makes his writing debut with this film, stars as Peter Bretter, a lazy but lovable average Joe who is devastated when he is dumped by his TV star girlfriend, Sarah Marshall (played by Kristen Bell, of “Veronica Mars” and “Heroes” fame).

In an attempt to get over the breakup, Pete goes to a resort in Hawaii, where he runs into — who else? — Sarah and her new beau, a ridiculous British rock star named Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). Things begin to look up for Pete when Rachel (Mila Kunis), the comely receptionist at the resort, takes an interest in him, sparking jealousy in Sarah and making life awfully confusing for Pete.

The only problem with “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is that, with the Apatow brand attached, the bar might have been set a little too high. But judging it on its own merits, it is a charming and very funny movie. It is not quite hilarious, but there are solid laughs throughout, and a few truly hysterical moments. Many of these moments come not from the main love quadrilateral but from an inspired medley of side characters: Paul Rudd’s vapid surf instructor, Jack McBrayer’s (of “30 Rock”) sexually clueless newlywed and Jonah Hill’s Snow-obsessed waiter. Also, it is probably the only movie this year that will feature a Dracula puppet musical (both the best part of this film and, hopefully, a preview of what to expect in the upcoming Segel-penned Muppets movie) and the most male nudity this side of “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.”

One of the hallmarks of the Apatow school of romantic comedies is the throbbing heart just below the surface, and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” is no exception. This movie is enjoyable not just because it’s funny, but because the characters are relatable and sympathetic. It’s easy to empathize with Pete as he stands naked (literally and figuratively) before Sarah as she breaks his heart, cries at his piano and eats a giant bowl of cereal. But throughout the movie we learn that things and people aren’t quite what they seem. We see flashbacks of Sarah and Pete’s relationship as it really was, rather than through Pete’s retrospective rose-colored glasses, and get a chance to hear Sarah’s side (and learn that she’s not quite the cold-hearted bitch we once thought). While any romantic comedy relies on some amount of clich√É.√©, this one is refreshing in that the characters are not just one-dimensional stereotypes.

So, instead of judging the latest Apatow-related comedy against “Knocked Up,” “Superbad” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” should be taken for what it is: A consistently funny and touching comedy about getting over a broken heart.