Superbad
Ladies
and Gentlemen, the teen comedy is back. What’s that
you’re saying? You thought it was already back with
the string of teen movies where a girl might be “all
that” or a guy might just hump a pie? Unfortunately,
my friend, you were duped.
Those
were some square’s idea of a comedy movie in teen
comedy’s clothing. But no one does teens quite like
Judd Apatow. (Whoa, that didn’t come out right…)
Creator
of the now classic television show and probably one of the
best chroniclings of teen angst, Freaks
and Geeks, Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked
Up) returns, producing one of the best teenage comedies
ever. Yes. I said ever. How can I be so crass? Well…
this movie is Superbad baby, that’s why.
Superbad
is the latest project out the gate from Judd Apatow’s
rolling snowball of a production company, and it may just
be their best effort yet. Directed by Greg Mottola and written
by Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and Evan Goldberg, Superbad
is the story of Seth (the delightfully motor-mouthed Jonah
Hill) and Evan (Arrested Development’s Michael
Cera), two teenagers facing the impending abyss that is
life after high school.
With
three weeks left, the two best friends are faced with accomplishing
all the unfinished business they’ve left undone through
four years of school life. That business being Evan realizing
his crush on his dream girl, Seth getting some vag and the
both of them tasting just a little bit of that illusive
high school popularity before it’s gone forever.
The
chance arises when Seth is partnered up with Jules (The
Lohanesque Emma Stone) in Home Economics class and he hints
that he and his buddies can get booze with fake I.D.s. She
in turn invites him to a bash at her vacant parents' home
over the weekend if he can manage to rustle up a party’s
worth of libations.
Worried
that he might have spoken too soon, Seth fears he’ll
be unable to achieve said goal, and puts his hopes in the
hands of nerdy third wheel and recent fake ID owner, Fogel,
or as he’s later referred to as, McLovin.
The
rest of the movie is true, a teen quest for firewater that
once it picks up, becomes an irreverent explosion of brash
and riotous comedy. However, the movie, like most of Apatow’s
productions, never manages to lose its heart. The movie
remembers, at its core, what it’s like to be an awkward
teenager, and all the relationships in the film are believable
and fun. The freshness of the film is mostly accomplished
by the great casting and the snappy dialogue, most of which
feels improvised and alive, and most importantly, very real.
Also,
with the seemingly basic plot, director Mottola captures
the scope of the central goal, setting up something as simple
as getting beer for a party and making it akin to rescuing
the Ark of the Covenant from the Nazis. Mottola also makes
this a movie about friendship and how important it is in
a young person’s life and future. It’s these
small details that flesh out the true spirit of what Superbad
is all about.
The
other thing that’s Superbad about this movie is the
incredible ensemble cast. Jonah Hill (Knocked Up)
is always fun to listen to, and at times, you really need
to pay attention through all of your own laughing to get
the complete grasp of what he’s really saying. Michael
Cera, slowly growing out of his George Michael from Arrested
Development style, is very charming in this movie,
and his innocence is so authentic and likable. He has an
appealing quality, and with the right moves, you could be
looking at the next Tom Hanks in ten years.
Then
there’s McLovin.
I feel
so sorry for newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse, because
the kid nails the Fogel character so much that he will be,
now and forever, known as McLovin. This is the type of
character that Bluto was in Animal House. He’s
legendary, already stealing the movie and literally having
audience members cheering out loud.
Mintz-Plasse
brings the nerd essence to his Fogel character but doesn’t
make it stereotypical. McLovin works because Mintz-Plasse
goes whole-heartedly into the role and reminds us of every
geeky kid we’ve ever known in our lives, and then
makes us root for them. It’s an impressive first appearance
for this kid. Let’s just hope it’s not his last,
because he’s got chops, and I don’t want to
see him get pigeon holed.
Screenwriter
Rogen also appears in the film alongside Bill Hader (SNL)
as two bumbling nerdy cops who cross paths with McLovin.
The cops are a big part of the funny in this film, and Hader
is in top form here. For me, he hearkens back to the heyday
of classic supporting comedians and his potential reminds
me of a young Dan Aykroyd. Rogen is good as his partner,
but mostly plays back in the comedy mix, allowing the rest
of the crew to get the laughs. He gets lots of good lines,
no doubt, but his character is the good cop to Hader’s
crazy cop.
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Finally,
one of the most satisfying aspects of Superbad
is the soundtrack. The movie is named after the James Brown
song, so you know they had to bring their “A”
game to the music. What’s so great about this movie’s
sound is that it tries to exist in its own universe. There
aren’t many catchy ditties from the punk boy band
of the week here; this is a straight up soul funk soundtrack,
by the Superbad Band with contributions from James Brown
bassist Bootsy Collins. Music plays such an important part
in movies and with the wrong combination, it can betray
the emotions on the screen. Luckily, in Superbad,
from the opening credits and the grooving bass line, you
know right away what you’re supposed to feel. Super
Bad.
I liked
this movie tremendously. However, it drags a little in the
beginning, but that helps develop the Seth / Evan friendship
and it’s totally necessary. Other than that, I laughed
and I laughed hard. As with many of Judd Apatow’s
productions, the stories they put their teenagers through
are so relatable, they feel like a chapter out of my own
adolescence. In a weird way, watching Superbad
is like reliving those times, good or bad.
This
isn’t just a funny teen comedy, it’s a well
made movie. The script plays believably, the acting is real,
the direction is smooth and the music is on point. Superbad
is a movie I will tell all my friends about and pay to see
again. Mostly because I want to hear all those funny lines
again and laugh my ass off. But more importantly, I’ll
see this movie again, because it’s Super Good. (Yeah,
I went there. Deal with it!)
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