Remember high school? Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg do; and to prove that it was just as painful and awkward as you thought, they wrote "Superbad."
Following in a long line of teen movies from "American Pie" all the way back to "Porky's," "Superbad" is the story of two friends as they pursue the classic teenage boy pastimes of trying to find alcohol and chasing skirts.
Evan and Seth are longtime friends who spend a Friday night trying to get the all-important booze for a house party in hopes of losing their virginity before college. In addition, they have to deal with the fact that they are going to different colleges. While this plot is nothing new, the antics of the comedic duo of Michael Cera and Jonah Hill make the well-tread ground of the teen movie genre worth revisiting.
Michael Cera ("Arrested Development") plays Evan, a shy and quiet guy who perfectly epitomizes the gawky teenager. A born straight man, Cera has impeccable comic timing that he uses to turn even the most basic conversation into a nightmare. This is fantastic because someone else's awkward conversation is always funny.
Jonah Hill ("Knocked Up") plays Seth, a foul-mouthed sex fiend who is all talk and no action. Speaking of talk, if talk of fellatio offends or disgusts you, then it would be best to avoid this film, as it is one of the most popular topics of discussion. Hill is a great physical comedian and fully committed to his role. He is willing to completely humiliate himself to make others laugh.
In addition to an incredible cast, Rogen and Goldberg manage to tap into the feeling of being an outsider that so often accompanies high school. Watching "Superbad" is like watching your own high school clique interacting. The fact that it is easy to relate to the situations that occur makes these situations that much funnier.
Like any great teen movie, "Superbad" isn't afraid to show teens like they really are: horny and vulgar. Sex is at the center of the movie, and as such, all types of sexual acts are discussed frequently. Not since "American Pie" has teen sexuality been discussed so frankly. The conversations about sex are so relatable they have to have literally been ripped from conversations that the writers had with their friends.
The film is relatively light on plot and none of the material is particularly groundbreaking, but the laughs don't stop coming long enough for any of that to matter.
"Superbad" is rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a fantasy/comic violent image — all involving teens.
I rate "Superbad" four pitchforks out of five.
