'Superbad' review

Awkward adolescence and a bevy of immature jokes makes this film an instant high school classic

By Crystal Nicholson
Published: August 26th, 2007 | 11:46pm

Superbad pushes the Judd Apatow class of humor to its inevitable gross-out conclusion, while maintaining that sentimental cleverness that characterized The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked-Up. Despite ample dick drawings, boner jokes, and period mishaps on the dance floor, Superbad still manages to evoke a sweetness, creating empathy for characters in that go-get-the-girl cinematic tradition.

Superbad is the story of two high school nobodies, Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) who's crushes put them in charge of providing alcohol for the night's party. Brand new actor Christopher Mintz-Plazze plays their sidekick, Fogell (or McLovin according to his fake ID). Mintz-Plazze, who has never acted before, stumbled into the role of one of the most lovable and hilariously over-confident nerds in the history of high school comedy. One thing goes wrong after another, two idiot policeman (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader) enter the wild ride, and the two best friends come to grips with their coming graduation and separation in the process.

Although Superbad garnered much pre-release street cred because it was produced by Apatow, the film was actually written by screenwriters Evan Goldberg and Knocked Up's Seth Rogen (who also write for "Da Ali G Show"). Goldberg and Rogen have years of comedic experience behind them, but actually wrote the script they were all of thirteen years old. The verdict is still out as to whether the popularity of the film attests more to the writers' brilliance or to the audience's immaturity for eating up this pubescent genius.

Adding to the general bizarre hilarity of the movie is the funkified and discoed-out soundtrack, complete with Curtis Mayfield, Jean Knight, and the omnipresent Rick James. This carefully over-the-top musical selection, paired with Jonah Hill's 'Disco Stu' costume choice (clothes borrowed from his best friend's dad), and tripled with old-style cop-delinquent chases, gives the movie a retro ambience, rendering it an instant high school genre cinematic classic.

Superbad rises above other Apatow movies in its development of the central characters. Cera is a genius at portraying the hopelessly awkward without resorting to gimmicks or the outlandish. Hill mastered the high-pitched desperation of male teens on the prowl. The actors together created a chemistry both sentimental and knee-slapping. Superbad is an unflinching hormone-induced comedy which fully lives up to the Apatow name.