Superbad - It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... McLovin?
Superbad A+
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Seth Rogen
Directed by Greg Mottola (The Daytrippers)
Rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use and a fantasy/comic violent image
Appropriate for ages 17+
The Story: It's high school graduation time and three members of the unpopular caste are invited to a major party, under the caviat that they provide the booze. With the gauntlet thrown down, they set out on a journey that will take them to strange and unusual places that most high schoolers will never get the chance to experience. The threesome's only hope is that they can procure the precious liquid so that they might have a chance not to graduate as virgins.
The Good: It took over 10 years for a studio to greenlight this script, and only after producer Judd Apatow's hit Taladega Nights, did it start to go into production. With a small budget of only 18 million dollars, the trick was to find three relatively unknown actors that could play teenagers. The casting of Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse was perfect. Hill and Cera have some of the best timing of any comedians working in Hollywood right now, and newcomer Mintz-Plasse is amazing as the soon-to-be-a-national-catch-phrase McLovin. Throw in a terrific script by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Rogen also co-stars) and you have a memorable coming-of-age comedy that will go down in history with classic teen flicks like American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Dazed and Confused.
It would be a mistake to simply think of this film as just a raunchy teenage sex comedy. I think many will find a sense of familiarity about the friendship, confusion, and pre-conceived notions of the future that go through our protagonists' heads. It is as deep as it is obscene and should make audiences very uncomfortable that they are laughing themselves sick.
The Bad: This is a very offensive film that I would have trouble watching with my mother (if you know what I mean). I cannot describe most of the big laughs due to the fact that my editor couldn't print the descriptions without losing his job. So, it goes without saying, if you are easily offended, and thought that Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin were questionable, please note that they don't hold a candle to the material in Superbad.
The Summary: This very rated-R teenage flick is an absolutely unforgetable gem of movie.
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