Review: Superbad!

Superbad

Almost McLovin' It

Score: 7/10 (Entertaining!)

Bottom Line: Spend Your Money

To-The-Point: Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen, and Jonah Hill combine forces again for another comedic smash, as Superbad is a mostly realistic depiction of filthy-minded teenaged boys struggling with growing up, growing apart, and leaving home. Not quite as clever or memorable as The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up, Superbad still provokes many laughs despite too much vulgar humor, some flat jokes, and a subplot involving police officers that goes a little over-the-top.

Complete Truth: It's official: the R-rated comedy is back.

Superbad is the latest film featuring Judd Apatow's involvement, and it clearly shows in the irreverent humor, authentic relationships, and (mostly) realistic characters. First, he tackled middle-age love and sex with The 40 Year Old Virgin. Then, he explored young adult love and sex with Knocked Up. Now, he helped produce a loving, nostalgic homage to (you guessed it) teen love and sex with Superbad.

So, is Superbad super good? Not quite, but it comes close.

Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are geeky best friends who are finishing their senior year of high school how they started it: as virgins. With only two months left until Evan leaves Seth behind to attend Dartmouth College, the slowly separating pals decide to pursue their dream girls, Becca (Martha MacIsaac) and Jules (Emma Stone), at Jules' upcoming party. Unfortunately, their only ticket into the event is what most teens consider to be the holy grail of maturity and popularity: alcohol.

Luckily, Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a casual friend of our duo, has just received a fake ID labeling him as a 25-year-old Hawaiian organ-donor named McLovin'. Coercing Fogell into purchasing alcohol, Seth and Evan's big night plans go haywire when a robbery at the liquor store forces police officers Michaels (Seth Rogen) and Slater (Bill Hader) into detaining Fogell as they cruise around town. In one last adventure together, our two heroes will encounter druggies, fist fights, and confusion as they search for alcohol (and themselves) in a struggle with growing up and growing apart.

Yes, we've all seen this story a million times before - it's the eternal quest of teenagers trying to obtain beer. But, just as Apatow's previous films have transformed mundane situations into hilarious interactions, Superbad is funny because it's true. Nearly every person can relate to the anxieties of high school, but the film delves deeper into themes of separation, acceptance, and self-reliance without losing its comedic edge.

But, fear not, as these mature subjects are handled rather immaturely. Vomit flies, pants become stained with a bodily fluid, and there are so many penis jokes that they should've renamed the film The Penis Monologues. The film is often too vulgar, as the constant barrage of curses and genitalia references becomes stale halfway through the movie.

Much of this humor throughout Superbad is derived from Seth and Evan's own fears and imperfections. Here are two outsiders who have stuck together, utilizing humor in their daily lives as a means of deflecting the sting of being awkward and unpopular. Embarrassment is all too common for them, as they find themselves in increasingly uncomfortable situations, and the only escape is through self-depreciating humor or shock laughs.


"Fogell, you idiot! Why'd you get me a fake ID that says my name is Jonah Hill?! Who the hell is that?"

Jonah Hill has finally stepped into the spotlight with his role as Seth, creating an obnoxious-yet-lovable oaf with a penchant for sprouting off one-liners that would make Howard Stern blush. Seth avoids becoming a grating, annoying character because Hill manages to lend a slight tinge of nervousness and sensitivity into his voice and mannerisms, exposing the true nature beneath his vulgar facade. We understand that his dirty mouth is really a disguise for the impending loss of his best friend, and therefore, we sympathize for him.

Michael Cera, on the other hand, displays a more reserved approach towards his character of Evan, using nervous ticks and deadpan responses to project a teenager on the cusp of entering adulthood. Cera understands Evan's shyness and bottles his emotions into strange movements and disjointed speech, allowing us to laugh at somebody who is too afraid to speak his mind.

Despite this authenticity, Superbad often makes the mistake of underusing its funniest bits and overusing the least humorous moments, such as the much-talked about renaming of Fogell into McLovin'. The first time McLovin' is uttered, it ellicits a small chuckle. The twentieth time in the film, not so much. Superbad tends to rely too much on similar material so that it kills the joke, but it does allow for other moments in the film to shine, including a priceless segment where we flashback to Seth's childhood obsession.

Another primary problem with Superbad is the focus on police officers Michaels and Slate as they drive Fogell around town. The film works best when focusing on Seth and Evan's separating relationship, yet it continually shifts away from this dynamic for a highly unrealistic subplot in which the officers engage in chases, shoot holes into stop signs, and eventually destroy their squad car - all while drinking beer with an underage minor. There are long stretches where Seth and Evan are abandoned for another pointless, over-the-top scene involving these characters, and the film suffers for it. I have a feeling that Seth Rogen, upon receiving the role as Officer Michaels, may have rewritten the script to include more scenes for his character. Just a hunch.

But even with these flaws, Superbad manages to capture its own unique vibe through an awesome 70's soundtrack, a strong central relationship, and the familiarity of a time in our lives where we were scared but ready for anything and everything. It may not be a classic, but it's definately one thing for sure:

Superbad.

Side Note: Now that he's conquered sexual relationships for teens, new adults, and middle-aged folk, what's next for Judd Apatow? The elderly? Youth? Maybe interspecies?


"Guys, look! The Average Movie Guy gave our film a good review! Hurry up and send him an e-mail telling him how much it means to us! This is the greatest day of our lives! "

(Editor's Note: The preceding photo caption is what I dream of at night, and what I say to myself outloud during the day.)

Superbad, a Columbia Pictures release, is rated R for (take a deep breath) "pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a fantasy/comic violent image - all involving teens."

Total running time is 114 minutes.

Starring Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen. Screenplay by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Directed by Greg Mottola.