I had the theater all to myself today...

Rating: 10/10 (19 September 2007)

...Which is quite good, otherwise I might not have enjoyed "Superbad" as much as I did. Director Greg Mottola's new film "Superbad" is super-funny and super-good in a number of ways that I didn't think were possible. Part of it, I think, lies in the writing. "Superbad" is a well-written film, if nothing else. That praise should go to screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Sure, their screenplay is vulgar and profane, but the actors carry it off in such a way that it becomes not only funny, but moving. It's two weeks before graduation and two high school seniors and lifelong best friends who are presumably named after the film's screenwriters - the foul-mouthed, out-going, and sex-crazed Seth (Jonah Hill) and the somewhat introverted, stalwart, and more cautious Evan (Michael Cera) - are facing the possibility of never seeing each other again when Evan and a third named Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) get accepted to Dartmouth while Seth's college plans are an uncertainty because he didn't get accepted. To make long stories short, Evan and Fogell are going to be rooming together at Dartmouth, which certainly makes Seth feel a little left out, like his best bud is bailing out on him. But "Superbad's" story gets underway when the two get invited to a party, where two girls - the cute Becca (Martha MacIsaac) and Jules (Emma Stone) - both of whom Evan and Seth are smitten with, respectively, are going to be. So, Seth and Evan are put on alcohol duty. Since, obviously, they're underage, they have to get Fogell (who has a fake ID) to go get the booze at a liquor store. Sounds easy enough, right? (If he doesn't get carded at the cash register first.) But a series of unusually comic events throw their plan into chaos, and wondering how they're going to get the booze for the girls they like, and save the party. On a side note, Fogell gets swept up with two police officers (Rogen himself and Bill Hader) who also proceed to show him the night of his life and recapture some youthful shenanigans themselves. "Superbad" is definitely not a movie children should see. With enough adult humor, profanity, and alcohol - all involving teenagers - you can bet this is a show for mature adults. Like I stated earlier, the film's greatest strength lies in the intelligence of its screenplay. From seeing the actors' performances, you understand the frustration the kids go through to simply have a good time before facing life's uncertainties as college freshmen and then later, as adults. Rogen and Goldberg's writing captures all of this perfectly, and the comic timing of the two lead actors in a number of comic scenes is nothing short of brilliant. The jokes fly fast, so does the adult humor and profanity, but "Superbad" is a super-cool teen flick, and bound to be yet another fun entry into the teen market.
10/10