Superbad
Superbad is,
simply, the best teen sex comedy since the first American Pie.
In fact, if you get
technical, it has about the same plotline. However, that's okay,
almost every teen sex comedy has the same story - nerdy teen boys trying to
lose their virginity. Yet, Superbad brings enough of its own
warped sensibility and stands on its own as a hip and funny look at the
mating rituals of teens.
Written over a
period of fifteen years by Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and his childhood
best friend, Evan Goldberg, Superbad is supposed to be an
autobiographical look at these two outsiders' teen years. The main
characters even share names with the writers.
Rogen is way too
old to play the role now, so instead he gave the character to Jonah Hill
(also of Knocked Up.) Michael Cena (previously
best known as Jason Bateman's shy son from Arrested Development)
takes on the part of the best friend. Rogen gave himself the role of
one of a pair of rogue cops - frankly the only characters in the film which
are completely unbelievable cartoons, though admittedly sometimes very
funny.
The storyline - what
little of one there is - has the two teens needing to get some alcohol to
supply a blow-out graduation party, all to win over the beautiful hostess of the bash
and a cute girl party-goer. The guys are sure that this act will win
the two girls over and allow them to lose their virginity before college.
So they get an uber-nerd friend (a scene stealing role by Christopher
Mintz-Plasse) to help them get fake IDs - leading to a wild series of
adventures.
Of course, Superbad
does suffer from the one writing blind spot which seems to pop up in every
Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen film - the insistence that the hot girls will not
only be unattached but more than willing to give the fat and dorky boys a
real shot. In fact, here Becca (Martha MacIsaac) and Jules (Emma
Stone) - stunners who could choose from any guy - are practically throwing
themselves at two of the biggest losers in the school. Hey, look, I'm
a nerdy guy, too. I love the idea that this could actually happen in the
world. It doesn't make it any less of a fantasy, though.
However, in the newfangled
world of gross-out comedies with a heart - most of which are made by some
of the guys behind Superbad - this movie is significantly better
than Knocked Up, which came out earlier this summer with the same
co-writer, executive producers and some of the same co-stars - and with much higher expectations.
Superbad does not pretend to have its slobs try to figure out everything
important in life like that film tried to. There is one uncomfortable
but luckily short scene where the drunk teens mushily acknowledge their love
for each other - the only small example of the other film's much-too-broad
sentimental streak. Nonetheless this film feels much more like real life. And
it's funnier, to boot.
Jay S. Jacobs
Copyright ©2007 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.
Posted: August 27, 2007.
