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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gratuitously Filthy and too Silly at Times, but Still Hilarious, April 4 2008
For the most part Superbad is full of comedy shortcuts and some language intended to shock. In other words, it didn't blow me away with its creativity and I suppose that is one reason I was very perplexed to see this film so widely praised by critics (i.e. Richard Roeper put this in his top ten of 2007). Another reason would be the fact that it is a pure comedy feature and films like that are skewered by critics of all kinds more often than not.
Superbad is produced by Judd Apatow, the hugely successful director of the 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and it is directed by Greg Mottola who previously worked on television's hilarious Arrested Development. It was written by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg as additionally evident by the two protagonists names, Seth and Evan. Rogan also plays a local cop who adds some great laughs along with his partner played by the even funnier Bill Hader.
Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) are high schools buddies in their senior year before going to attend different colleges. The whole story centers around their quest to illegally obtain alcohol and ration it among some peers at a high school party that Seth was invited to by his love interest Jules (Emma Stone). Seth insists that getting a girl drunk is the easiest way for him to get laid, hence the primary motive to get everyone drunk. Their friend Fogell (Chris Mintz-Plasse) has a fake ID that could help them in their quest but Fogell's ID has him with the single name of "McLovin'" and doesn't seem very convincing. Fogell is assaulted during a robbery of the liquor store where he was purchasing the drinks and the cops, played by Hader and Rogan, arrive to question him. Adventure ensues as Fogell travels around town with these two insane police officers. Separately, Evan and Seth continue their search for alcohol, assuming that Fogell got nabbed by the cops for buying alcohol underage.
I thought this film was at times intentionally dirty and overly derivative. I also didn't find the film to be remotely believable. The cops in particular were entirely too over the top and their antics bordered on cartoon-like at times, albeit still really funny. There are some really great moments of humor here but because the film goes too far now and then, the more genuine moments were in no way convincing to me and that is were Superbad falls short and it's dramatic moments essentially become meaningless. It's funny because I think Knocked Up was close to doing that too but the makers of Superbad want the viewer to suspend disbelief entirely, on their schedule, and only when it is convenient for them. That didn't really work for me but I laughed far too much during this movie to not give it a slight recommendation.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
key word: bad, Mar 17 2009
I love these teen/university comedies but usually when they aren't so forced. I know Superbad is a huge hit but it seems more for people who actually think SNL is funny (sorry, one sketch out of ten = unfunny show).
Loved the action scenes and howled at the various escape/chase scenes. The dialogue is a total letdown. Nothing wrong with honest crude and rude dialogue but did any of this ring true? I felt the riffs went on far too long to be believable.
The "McLovin" joke is a one trick pony. The dumb cops was comedy for dummies with zero plausibility. And why do so many American comedies always have to rely on gunplay for humor? Lighting the cop car on fire, too? Seriously, that was the best you could come up with?
The latter ten minutes actually finally felt like the guy had a heart and the kids talked like real teenagers would.
Sorry, but all the cash aside that Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen (as inexplicable and unfunny a star as Adam Sandler) are awash in now is not going to make this genre they have conceived any more funny. Maybe I'm wrong but ten years from now, my guess is people will be wondering exactly what drugs we were on to think this stuff was comedic gold.
If you want proof, watch the extras. Zero laughs on the takeoffs of taxi cab confessions in a cop car and the "clothed" porn humor in the van (A van? In 2009? The '70s are long over, Judd).
Superbad is definitely super in parts and bad (and I'm not talking the '70s jive talkin' definition of the word) in others. Let's just say for all the hype, I was expecting a bit more than an upgraded Porky's.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Profanity laden , but has a silver lining, Oct 7 2007
Movies about teens trying to get some may not be new, but this latest effort really tries the hardest to get you laughing without depending on the old staples of potty humor and getting kicked in the nuts.
Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) are best friends, about to leave high school and looking for some action to prepare them for the wild college life they imagine they're going to have. Despite being dorky and potty mouthed, each has a major crush on a babe, and when Seth gets invited to a party by his dream date, he willingly agrees when she cajoles him into getting the alcohol for the party. This brings in the scene stealing Fogell, (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) with his very fake ID that gives his name as McLovin, and things start to go really wrong from that point on.
An unlikely chain of events leads to the arrival of two really dumb cops (Bill Hader and Seth Rogen), the crashing of a party with some very bad company, and the heartbreaking loss of a bottle of alcohol. Eventually they get to the party, where predictably nothing goes according to plan.
While the unrestrained profanity and some of the content isn't suitable for young viewers, the one thing that really shines in this movie is the special relationship between Seth and Evan on the road to maturity.
Amanda Richards
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