PLOT:
Two best buds make it their mission in life to go to a party, get drunk and get laid before the end of their senior year in high school. After being invited to a blow-out bash by one of the popular girls who asks if they can bring the booze, they embark on an adventure in search of alcohol, with the help of their geeky friend and a lousy fake ID. Along the way, they realize the value of their friendship and the value of having a geeky friend like
McLovin.
REVIEW:
It wasn’t enough that Judd Apatow made what is easily the funniest romantic comedy in years with KNOCKED UP. Now, he takes on the producer role, while Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg write the best teen flick since DAZED AND CONFUSED. Including opening credits that have a groovy Seventies vibe, yet SUPERBAD quickly brings us up to date with some of the funniest dialogue that you won’t hear on television (well, on cable maybe). When Seth picks up his best buddy Evan on their way to school, three weeks before graduation, Seth is quick to point out how lucky Evan was to be able to suck on his mom’s titties, while Evan offers the consolation of Seth being able to suck on his dad’s dick.
Yes its f*cking crude. And yes it may be f*cking offensive to some. But is it funny? Hell yes! Johan Hill and Michael Cera are perfectly cast as the high school counterparts to the screenwriters. They are both incredibly natural and instantly likable. And I haven’t even gotten to “McLovin” yet. As KNOCKED UP walked the fine line between touching and offensive, SUPERBAD is able to do the same thing as both of these two kids, with the help of the Kevin Smith inspired dialogue, really come alive. This is a very real friendship; the kind that eventually move on and either grow, or become a memory.
Now if this sounds too serious for you, don’t worry. SUPERBAD is the most consistently funny film I’ve seen in quite awhile, and with both HOT FUZZ and KNOCKED UP in the running, that says a whole hell of a lot. There is comic territory seldom explored here, at least not with this wit and wonderfully crude humor. While the premise is quite basic – high school kids try and score some booze for a possibility of getting laid at a party – it doesn’t feel as empty as it should. From a spot of blood on a dude’s pants, to a nerd with the worst fake ID in history, there is so much funny here that aside from a few very necessary dramatic pauses, I laughed for the majority of the film.
You are definitely along for the ride as Seth and Evan make desperate attempts, along with uber-nerd Fogel (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) to buy alcohol, the kind that Seth’s dream girl Jules ask him to buy with their fake ID… that’s McLovin’ to you. And the true force that makes it work is the reality that it grounds itself in. When you are a teenager, the awkwardness of liking a girl, getting drunk at a party and trying to score and having a best friend who you know isn’t gonna be around after senior year is smartly told. Both Jonah and Michael make the most of the roles and give very real and very believable performances. They are fantastic and are able to carry the hilarious dialogue to another level. This is some truly inspired work.
Now let’s talk about the adults… yep, those pesky folk who seem to always complicate your life. Well, the grown-ups here are just as messed up as the kids in more ways than one. Seth Rogen and Bill Hader are a couple of police officers that should do more for the police force than any recruitment video ever made. They drink, break the law and find a little camaraderie with the man, the myth, the McLovin. Yes, it is completely improbable how they fit but it works and builds the comedy perfectly. And just like Cera and Hill, both Hader and Rogen shine here. They don’t play the ridiculousness of the situation, they are grounded and just damn funny. Also fantastic is the always interesting Kevin Corrigan who shares something with Seth, and he ain’t happy about it. The adults here aren’t really written as morons like many films in this genre, they are just kids that were forced to grow up. That describes many an adult that hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be young.
It’s great to see characters like Seth and Evan portrayed as real people. Yeah, they are kind of losers but not really, they are just kids who aren’t really popular but they are probably more relatable than the ridiculously geeky, or the extremely cool kid. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill are so perfect in the roles that it never feels forced. I bought every single conversation and when it got serious, I was with them all the way. And obviously much of the credit should go to the wonderful script by Rogen and Goldberg. It is smart, crude, funny and very honest, and very capably directed by Greg Mottola. Yes… there is no question about it, SUPERBAD is the laugh-out-loud funniest film of the year. And yes, it ranks alongside FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, DAZED AND CONFUSED and ANIMAL HOUSE as one of the greatest teen comedies of our time. This is the movie that generations to come will talk about and relate to and show to their kids when they get old enough. A near perfect tale of teens, booze, sex and rock and roll.
My rating 10/10 — JimmyO
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