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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Why ‘Superbad’ is Supergood
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It is no secret how much I like “Superbad,” the rowdy, at times even raunchy R-rated high school comedy arriving in theaters on Friday. Just last week I put the Judd Apatow-produced film on my list of the best movies of summer 2007.
The film carries with it a fine pedigree. We’re talking the same group of genius Hollywood filmmakers who put together “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up.” Some of the same guys who helped fashion “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and “Anchor Man: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”
“Superbad” stars Michael Cera (“Arrested Development”) and Jonah Hill (“Knocked Up”) as senior geeks spending one of their final days of high school trying to score liquor for a party where they hope to score girls. The humor is raw, the language filthy and the comedy is resplendent.
Some have compared the film to the “American Pie” series. I think it’s better than that. It reminds me of the fun of “Go.”
Here are a few reasons why “Superbad” is so supergood:
1. The awkwardness. This film expertly captures the social relationship between attractive girls and geek boys. And Hill’s aggressive horniness is nicely balanced by Cera’s shy demeanor.
2. Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Remember that name. Actually, remember his character Fogell. But really, what we’ll all remember is the moniker he adopts for his fake I.D.: McLovin. This kid (Mintz-Plasse was 17 when he made “Superbad,” his first film, and is 18 now) is a find. His take on being a nerd rivals “Napoleon Dynamite.”
3. The script. The language may be raunchy but the meaning behind what the characters are saying is smart. The script is co-written by Evan Goldberg (an executive producer of “Knocked Up”) and rising talent Seth Rogen (he played the lead male in “Knocked Up” and portrays one of a pair of slightly off-center cops in “Superbad”).
There have been several advance screenings of “Superbad.” Have you been one of the lucky ones to have seen it? Or are you looking forward to the film?
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