Pnyin - Review: 'Superbad' a super fun teen romp

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ENTERTAINMENT / Review






Review: 'Superbad' a super fun teen romp


(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-14 19:20



"Superbad" has been so super-ubiquitous, it only feels like it's already
been in theaters for months.

Between the posters, TV commercials and promotional appearances by its
stars, the hype machine has been in full force. Just ask anyone under 25
who McLovin is -they'll immediately be able to tell you.

And the association with "Knocked Up," one of the summer's biggest hits
and one of the best comedies in a while, certainly doesn't hurt. Judd
Apatow, who wrote and directed that film, serves as producer here; Seth
Rogen, its star, co-wrote the "Superbad" script and has a supporting role
as a hilariously inept police officer.

But "Knocked Up" is a hard act to follow, so the smartest thing you can
do for yourself walking into "Superbad" is lower your expectations. It
has all the laughs of its predecessor but only about half the heart.

Still, co-stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are pretty irresistible
together as high school best friends on a quest for alcohol, which they
hope will help them hook up with girls at a big party before they
graduate. The sweetness and awkwardness of their freakishly co-dependent
relationship is totally believable, and their personalities and comic
styles complement each other beautifully. Not a moment between them feels
false in the script from Rogen and Evan Goldberg, themselves best friends
since high school who based the movie on their own adolescent angst.

But Christopher Mintz-Plasse, as an even geekier kid who gets a fake ID
with the one-word name McLovin, pretty much steals the whole thing in his
first film. Initially you think he's going to be a minor figure, a guy
who floats in and out, gets tooled on for laughs and then leaves. But
similar to the respectful treatment Steve Carell received in Apatow's
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin," Mintz-Plasse's scrawny, bespectacled Fogell has
a rich, full experience all his own 鈥� much more so than other
characters in the movie who kid themselves by thinking they're higher up
on the food chain.

Director Greg Mottola is visiting familiar territory here 鈥� the high
school hijinks movie has been a staple from "American Graffiti" to
"American Pie" 鈥� but everyone is relatable and the situations rarely
feel strained, which makes "Superbad" a cut above most.

Taking place over the course of a day, the film follows the misadventures
of Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) 鈥� named for the screenwriters who
inspired them 鈥� the closest of pals since childhood who are about to
leave each other for the first time to attend separate colleges. They're
both trying not to freak out about this; actually, they struggle to keep
themselves from talking about it. So instead they throw all their energy
into figuring out a way to buy alcohol for a big bash at the home of
pretty, popular Jules (Emma Stone), whose parents are out of town in
classic teen-movie fashion.

More than a bit nerdy, these guys are just psyched to have been invited,
even if it's only for their supposed booze-buying ability. Seth, the
tubby, profane trash-talker of the two, is desperate to lose his
virginity before heading off to college and hopes his newfound connection
with cool-girl Jules will do the trick. Up-and-coming comic actor Hill
has a great energy about him and he's had a solid few years as a regular
member of Apatow's troop; he was the best part of the watered-down "Evan
Almighty."

Evan, meanwhile, is skinnier and kinder, more thoughtful and more timid.
He's had a longtime crush on classmate Becca (Martha MacIssac), a girl
who's nice enough to give him the time of day, unlike most, and who might
have a secret crush on him, too. Cera is probably best known for playing
the lovably goofy George-Michael Bluth on the sadly defunct sitcom
"Arrested Development." Here, his self-conscious starts and stops reveal
more than a few glimmers of his TV character, and while he's funny and
extremely likable in that mode, he also makes you want to see what else
he can do.

But while Seth and Evan fumble toward inebriation, it's the unlikely
Fogell, the guy with the cheesy ID, who has the greatest adventure of
all. We won't give away the details 鈥� though you probably already know
what happens, since awareness of all things "Superbad" is so high. We'll
just say that McLovin turns out to be the baddest mutha by far.

"Superbad," a Columbia Pictures release, is rated R for pervasive crude
and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a
fantasy/comic violent image, all involving teens. Running time: 114
minutes. Three stars out of four.























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