Superbad

Yes, it's funny. It's silly, it's crass, it's irreverant, and it has all the makings of a mindless adolescent farce like the ones I grew up with from American Pie to Revenge of the Nerds and all their sequels. But when this movie ended and the credits rolled I was left speechless in awe. And not just because of all the penis drawings during the credits.

"Superbad" is, as you may expect from any film produced by Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, etc), on the raunchy side. So don't be surprised if you see a penis drawing or 2. But what makes this an amazing film is that despite all the raunchiness and partying and horseplay it actually delivers some powerful human and sentimental themes.

In the hands of an inferior cast, it would have flopped and come across as cheesy. But with these actors, each delivering a larger than life performance despite playing high school seniors, it's magnificent. I'll give you just 1 example of what I'm talking about...

There's a scene where 2 characters are gearing up for a sexual encounter (their first). But one of them (and arguably both) are not ready for it. Unlike all the teen romps that I grew up with, where the goal is for the guy to bed the girl, this scene makes us put the brakes on and consider: Wait... Why is the goal always for the guy to bed the girl?? And at the same time it's really funny and does not sacrifice the film's momentum. I won't ruin the ending of the scene, but let's just say it's satisfying on every level and punctuated with a great gag to make us laugh.

"Superbad" is truly an evolution of the genre. It's every bit as crass and wacky and full of horseplay as all the others since Porky's, but this is the first time one of these mindless comedies dares to make us think and feel on a deeper level. Like I said, it's largely due to the great casting. Michael Cena, if you're not familiar, plays his signature role of an awkward deer-in-the-headlights kid but with a strong sense of who he is, even though nobody else seems to understand. Jonah Hill plays his best friend, sort of the antithesis: a loser who thinks he knows what he wants but he's really quite confused. Emma Stone knocks it out of the park with a great role that's quirky, cool, rebellious and responsible all at the same time. Rounding out the troupe are Bill Hader and Seth Rogan who play a pair of despicable yet loveable cops whose combined IQ is around the same as their blood alcohol level.

This flick has it all. It's definitely for mature audiences in terms of language (at least the unrated cut I watched), but ironically it has some great messages for teens and younger viewers, if you can see through the tomfoolery. There aren't many films I can compare this to, but if you've seen "Easy A" with Emma Stone (somewhat tamer than this), I'd say "Superbad" has the same vibe. A seemingly silly teen comedy that packs a serious punch under the surface.

Superbad is a teen movie. It also will draw comparisons to American Pie, in it's "losers try to get laid" themes, and occasional gross-out comedy. But the comparison is unfair - Superbad is a funnier, more subversive and more importantly genuine movie than American Pie or any of it's awful sequels were. The three central characters have a believable, likable relationship, that the film takes time to establish. Cera, Hill (who deserves special praise, for turning what could have been a really unlikeable character into a sweet, if loud-mouthed and crass, teenager) and Mintz-Plasse bounce of each other perfectly. The movie creates some funny situations, and more importantly, hilarious dialogue throughout. Aside from one comedic misfire - an overly long (and poorly judged) gross out sight gag involving a pair of trousers and a dance - Superbad had me laughing constantly. It's sweet, it's funny as hell, and it's established a load of new talent.

A lot can happen in 24 hours when two best-buddy co-dependent outlier H/S Seniors get an invite to the "big party". Teaming up with a third-wheel friend getting his fake ID with just one name "McLovin" starts the ball rolling down a steep slippery slope of chaotic comic events, and rapidly turns into a day and night that will forever be ingrained in their memories.

One of the best coming of age films of the 2000s, the awkward moments are played with deft skill by Cera, Hill (one of his best performances that opened many doors for him in future films) and Mintz-Plasse (steals the show), with the screenplay co-written by Seth Rogan. A must see film for teens and older.

On my IMDb list of the "Top 25 All-Time Best "Buddy Films" list.

Maybe back then you couldn't tell what would become of Jonah Hill eventually (an Oscar nominated actor, playing with/against Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio) ... actually if you told anyone back then this would happen, they'd have written that in the script, because it would have sounded hilarious.

Speaking of hilarious: That's something that can be said about this movie. Of course many will start comparing this with American Pie, Porkys and what not. But the movie stands on its own two feet and has been copied a lot itself. Never to that success and never as good as "Superbad" obviously. If you like your teen comedies to be raunchy and dirty, this is exactly your cup of tea. After watching this, you might also be McLovin (this) ... no relation to any Fast Food chain by the way ...

I was able to catch a screening of 'Superbad' last night in NYC and I was very pleased with the movie. I'm sure most will compare this to an 'American Pie' like comedy, but it's so much more than that. There were some "shock value" moments, but very well done to tip the scale more to funny than to gross.

It is a teen movie, so 'Superbad's plot is obviously basic. It's the performances of the 3 friends (Seth, Evan, and 'McLovin' Fogell) that really make it great. I am big Michael Cera fan thanks to the brilliant TV series "Arrested Development", and other fans will be delighted to see his equally hilarious performance as Evan. The movie has the sexually driven banter and gross outs that will appeal to 'American Pie' viewer and the smart timing and acting that will appeal to the 'Arrested Development' viewer. What was really surprising to me was the touching (platonic) relationship that Evan and Seth have. Also, 'McLovin' Fogell, is an absolute nerdy delight.

The only negative thing I noticed that it was a bit drawn out toward the middle, but it really picks up after. Overall it's a great time and might just be a success at the box office. Bad teen comedies are a dime a dozen, but 'Superbad' is a shiny golden egg!