Judd Apatow has recently had a hot streak at the box office as a writer/director. Knocked Up and The 40 Year Old Virgin were simultaneously juvenile and sentimental without compromising either quality. Superbad, which was co-produced by Apatow and co-written by Knocked Up star Seth Rogen, feels more contrived than the aforementioned films but if you enjoyed them you’ll enjoy it.
Superbad is centered around one Friday night where geeky high school best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) find themselves in charge of obtaining alcohol for a party. Wanting to get some practice with the opposite sex before going off to college, each boy has a particular plan for how they want the evening to go when they arrive at the party. Seth wants to make out with Jules (Emma Stone) and Evan wants to get the attention of Becca (Martha McIssac). Their mutual friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a nerd even by their standards, has a fake ID and is integral in their plan. Things start to go awry as soon as Fogell enters the liquor store to make the purchase.
Although Greg Mottola directs, Superbad feels very much like a Judd Apatow film. From the clever dialogue, the sex-related humor, and even the unnecessarily long running time, Superbad shares many of the same traits — positive and negative — as Apatow’s previous movies. The script by Rogen and Evan Goldberg is more focused on the crude elements than Apatow usually is in his films.
Jonah Hill and Michael Cera make a convincing pair of friends and their dorky chemistry is believable. However, it’s Christopher Mintz-Plasse who steals the movie as Fogell (or McLovin as he’s known on his fake ID), a completely inept but irresistible geek.
The movie’s biggest flaw is the detour it takes with the introduction of two cops (Seth Rogen, Bill Hader) who take a liking to Fogell. While initially funny, the side story takes a lot of the wind out of the movie’s sails and simply makes the film run longer than necessary without any payoff.
Superbad accurately portrays the separation anxiety of two life-long friends as they approach the end of their high school run. The dialogue between Seth and Evan is hilarious in its vulgarity and honesty. If you have an aversion to penis jokes (visual and otherwise), you’ll really have a rough time with Superbad. Those without that self-imposed restriction should prepare laugh loud and hard.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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