It Doesn't Get Much Funnier Than This

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2007)

Probably the biggest surprise for me with the movies released this year so far was that a comedy was the best film I had seen, the award going out to Knocked Up. Not since The 40 Year Old Virgin had I laughed so hard at a movie before, and Knocked Up had more than enough outrageous moments to make it shine. But now there's a new comedy out and not only does it prove to be superior to Knocked Up but it manages to be one of the funniest comedies released, period. My friends, welcome to the masterpiece that is Superbad.
This comedy follows three seniors who could easily be labeled in the "Loser" section or whatever you'd call the low class of students. There's Seth, who's basically the outgoing leader of the pack who tends to talk a load of smack about just about everyone. Closest to him is his high school friend Evan, who basically fills the shy guy part. And finally, there's Fogell who you'll come to know as McLovin; think of him as the idiot who will crack you up in all his scenes.
But back to the plot, which starts off with Fogell talking about how he'll get a fake ID which Seth's "love interest" Jules asks him to buy booze for her. Before long Evan tells his dream-girl Becca about the scam and he becomes involved too. This then climaxes to a collection of totally outrageous events that hold our heroes from getting to the big senior party. But regardless of the point in the film, Superbad delivers tons of laugh out loud, crude humor that is sure to quench your thirst for great comedic entertainment.
The story and series of events in the movie is more-or-less an American Pie meets Harold and Kumar path. You've got some guys trying to get to salvation ala Harold and Kumar and hopefully get into a girls' pants ala American Pie. The movie also goes for a Knocked Up approach by being longer than most comedies, stretching to be just under two hours. While the film does have it's share of dull moments, the longer runtime ultimately brings about more laughs.
While many comedies tend to struggle with keeping the laughs consistent while keeping things interesting, Superbad manages to pull this off with ease. And it's not just the pacing and laughs it does well at, the film also does an excellent job in making you love each character. While Michael Cera's character is likely to get a lot boos, Jonah Hill and Mintz-Plasse manage to create two extremely likable characters, especially Plasse. There's also guest actors Seth Rogan (Knocked Up) and Bill Hader (Hot Rod) playing two totally hilarious and crude cops added for good measure who also turn out to bring about a fair bit of laughs.
In regards to characters, it's hard to really beat Superbad, because each one feels complete, even if a few could be dismissed as "panzies". Like Harold and Kumar and American Pie before it, Superbad makes the main characters and even some of the smaller ones all feel complete and believable. This is also something many comedies tend to miss the mark with, and it's nice to see that this movie made the characters so great.
All told, Superbad is definitely the best comedy released so far this year. It puts movies like Hot Rod to shame and manages to surpass the stellar and almost as likable Knocked Up. This is a movie that just about any comedy fan can love, even watching just the first five minutes can make you a fan. Thanks to great characters and constant laughs, Superbad manages to step up and earn itself a spot among the best comedies you'll ever see.