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Superbad
Directed by: Greg Mottola
Starring: Jonah Hill
Genre:
Comedy
Run Time: 118 min.
Release Date:
August 2007
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
Those with a penchant for
the highly crude will probably faun over SUPERBAD. Perhaps I’m
becoming too much of a prude or simply don’t find crude behavior for the
sake of just being crude funny. I grew up during the Jeff Spicoli phase
when FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) was the epitome of the
upcoming culture clash between my parents’ world and the emerging one
that I would inhabit during my early adulthood. True, there was crude
behavior in Fast Times (the “how-to” lesson on oral sex stands
out still today), but it was liberally sprinkled throughout with plenty
of simple laughs.
With Superbad, the F-word is used more times than in any other
film I’ve ever seen. And it’s true that some teens do talk like this,
but that doesn’t mean we need to hear it in every sentence just for
shock value or to prove some linguistic point (whatever that might be
...maybe to set a record?)
What gave this film its pull (in my book) was the plot surrounding two
youths ready to graduate from high school and having to deal with their
impending separation as they prepared to go to different colleges. They
were Seth (Jonah Hill,
KNOCKED UP) and Evan (Michael Cera).
Both are hiding their feelings about the upcoming separation and deal
with it by arguing and trying to buy booze for a party where two girls
they like are headed. Mixed amongst them is an extreme geek named Fogell
(Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who has a fake I.D. with a fake name: McLovin.
No first name. Just a last one ..from Hawaii. And he’s an organ donor.
But they have what they have and must get their alcohol quickly. They
send Fogell/McLovin into a liquor store where he is promptly assaulted
by a robber who cold-cocks him and steals all the cash in the till.
Waiting outside are Seth and Evan who then see a cop car pull up and are
freaking out. Will Fogell/McLovin go to jail for this?
But the cops are waste cases themselves. Officer Slater (Bill Hader also
of KNOCKED UP) and Officer Michaels (Seth Rogen,
SHREK THE THIRD) take
young Fogell/McLovin into their confidence and into their squad car;
they agree to take him home with a few stopovers. This trio is often
waylaid by their own stupidity, blazing through every red lighted
intersection, breaking up barroom brawls (after which they order
thirteen beers ...to go), and generally not giving a crap about serving
or protecting anything but their own butts.
Meanwhile Seth and Evan are trying to get some booze — any booze! — so
that they can get to the graduation party and the girls that await them
there. Seth battles multiple hits from automobiles and finally ends up
at another party where he has to deal with being exposed as a “man-gina”
and swiping alcohol via detergent containers. Evan just wants to get to
the party which sparks angry retorts from Seth.
Eventually the two do make it to the correct grad party and peel off
with their respective sexy gals. Seth wants so badly to lose his
virginity that he drinks himself into near oblivion, while Evan
discovers that having sex for the first time with a drunk girl isn’t all
its cracked up to be.
The party is quickly wrapped up as our two unenlightened cops show up
and break up the party (“We assume you all have guns and crack.”)
Thankfully the cursing slows down toward the middle and end of the film
allowing one to actually focus on how the story unfolds rather than how
it’s verbalized. The hysterically funny ending is both cringe-worthy and
guffaw appropriate; two boys acting like two girls (“I can say I love
you!”)
Your enjoyment of Superbad will depend on how much you enjoy letting
your mind revert back to a more primal state versus something funny
because it IS funny and not designed to gross you out or shock you.
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Image from Superbad
DVD cost: $25.99
Purchase:
BestPrices.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
The word "fuck" is used
186 times in the movie. The movie itself is only 118 minutes long. That
averages to approx. 1.6 uses of the word per minute. Around 84 are said
by Seth (Jonah Hill) alone.
Movie Quote: "You
changed your name to ...McLovin?"
Other Actors/Actresses
from Superbad
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