Review #1,385: 'Superbad' (2007)

By the time Greg Motolla's Superbad hit cinema screen back in 2007, it felt like this story of two high school boys looking to acquire booze in the hope of scoring with some hot chicks had arrived almost a decade too late. The teen sex comedy craze kicked off by American Pie in 1999 had finally fizzled out, and comedy was giving way to the man-child humour of Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell. Yet like Knocked Up did for the romantic comedy the same year (the two films share many of the same cast and crew members), Superbad digs deep and finds genuine heart as its main characters go to increasingly desperate lengths to finally get laid. This may be because screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg had been writing the film since they were teenagers, and the film is clearly based on their experiences (the two central characters are even named Seth and Evan). The dialogue is often so vulgar it makes you wince, but it also offers an insight into what it's like growing up these days. With all the knowledge on offer for these youngsters, the pressure is more about how well they will perform than simply doing the deed.

Seth (Jonah Hill) is a chubby, curly-haired teen whose lowly position on the school coolness hierarchy doesn't stop him from running his mouth about practically everything. He talks to his best friend Evan (Michael Cera) not only about watching porn, but everything from which websites he's considering paying for and all the crazy shit they offer. Evan is more softly-spoken and ethical, preferring to respect women (mainly the girl he's got the hots for) while Seth wails about the sex he could be getting. Like many best friends, they share little in common other than their lack of other friends, but have spent so much time together they've become inseparable. They do have another friend: the small, bespectacled Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who is so unpopular that even Seth and Evan don't particularly like him. Today, however, he is their saviour. Fogell has purchased a fake ID that lists him as an organ donor from Hawaii named McLovin, and the trio manage to bag an invite to party, only they are given the task of buying all the booze. The questionable fake ID and Fogell's youthful appearance aren't the only problems standing in their way, as a brush with two police officers (played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader) sends their night spinning out of control.

Motolla occasionally moves away from the wittiness of the teenagers' word play in favour of slapstick, and these moments don't so much as raise a titter. Seth gets his by a car, and the two police officers (who look like they've wandered in from a different movie) chase an old drunken guy through a bar while fumbling with their weapons. Thankfully, these moments are brief, as Superbad is undoubtedly at its best when focusing on the awkward smaller moments of teenage life. Often they are so nervous they look away or answer a question that hasn't been asked, and when they finally get the nerve to talk, it all comes out as near-incomprehensible gibberish. If you were a nervous teenager of questionable popularity, these scenes will likely strike an uncomfortable, but hilarious, chord. When the bedroom antics finally arrive, they are either a complete disaster or, in Evan's case, events take a surprisingly mature turn. They don't quite know what they want romantically and the movie isn't interesting in exploring it, as the main love story here is between Seth and Evan themselves. Yes, there are shades of homoeroticism in their relationship (with the two heading to different schools, and the fact that Evan is to live with Fogell, it feels like a romantic break-up), but their friendship goes far deeper. Superbad is one of the funniest films of the last twenty years, and somehow one of the most touching.


Directed by: Greg Mottola
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Martha MacIsaac, Emma Stone
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie