Movie Review

Superbad

Sex is important, especially to guys. There, now that's out of the way, the new film "Superbad" is like "American Pie" and "Beavis and Butthead", just a shitload of a lot funnier. Seth (Jonah Hill) is a chubby high school senior whose gotten his share of BJ's but who has yet to cross into the final frontier. His dorky friend Evan (Michael Cera) is in the same boat. The two know they have to get laid before college or they'll be losers forever. The opportunity arrives when a girl invites them to her party. They accept and even offer to bring the beer. Their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has just scored a fake I.D., only to their dismay, it says he is a 25-year old organ donor from Hawaii named McLovin. Through a freak liquor store robbery, McLovin gets separated from Seth and Evan, joyriding around all night with two fun-loving cops (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader) looking to reclaim their youth for the evening. Meanwhile, Seth and Evan must go through a series of ordeals to get the beer.

"Superbad" just makes you feel "oh so good". This is a hilarious comedy about what it is to be a teenage boy, a crude supposed "badass" who also happens to be at the mercy of everyone from liquor store owners, to cops, to chicks. This is a movie you can sit and watch with your friends and identify with every character in it, because in fact, you probably were or still are one of these characters. You root for these guys, you fall over laughing at their insecurities about girls and the desperate and disastrous attempts they make to impress them, and at the end you feel like you just spent a great night out with your bros. Of course everything from menstrual blood to vomit is used to class up the film as well. This is like a chick flick for dudes.

It's honest and it has some really good performances in it by three talented young stars. Jonah Hill, who's been around a lot lately in great (Knocked Up) and terrible (Evan Almighty) comedies as a supporting player, is me...err, I mean perfect as a kid who will do anything to get laid. Michael Cera, who was on the TV show "Arrested Development", works well with him as his shyer, more introverted friend. The two share an interesting dyanamic, both having the same goal but completely different dreams about how they want it to go down. There is also a nice "bros before hos" message that they bring across beautifully. And Christopher Mintz-Plasse steals the movie with the look and personality of Woody Allen, but the ego of a George Clooney. McLovin will be a character who will live on in the history of comedy for a long time to come.

After "Knocked Up" and this, you have to hope that Judd Apatow and his comedy crew produce two movies every summer because the two of these were an absolute treat. Here Seth Rogen, who starred in "Knocked Up", proves to be a savvy and promising screenwriter as well. Rogen also acts in the film along with Bill Hader as two of the funniest and wildest cops you're ever going to meet. The whole thing is filled with cool and hilarious characters, and best of all is that in the end there is definitely room for a sequel. A college sex comedy perhaps? Sounds even better.

Craig's Grade: A-

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%