Surprisingly, the title doesn't reflect the film's quality

Rating: 7/10 (19 August 2007)

There are many films which need to be seen in a certain context, with certain expectations, and with the realization that certain qualities which would normally add quality to a film will most likely be absent, without making the film any less enjoyable. Superbad is a prime example of all of these afformentioned traits - astonishingly foul mouthed, remarkably stupid yet surprisingly likable and endearing for all of its seemingly negative foibles. What might have been reduced to a generic and exploitive teen sex comedy ended up as... well, not too far from it, but one with surprising heart and enough caustic one liners to take its simple premise, and end up with an unreasonably solid film.
It's hard to describe what makes Superbad so enjoyable, considering it appears and feels like yet another trite teen comedy one can only shamefully admit to having viewed, but for whatever reason, the delicate balance between raucous and sentimental clicks, making up for any lapses in logic the plot may demonstrate. The story is perhaps the most familiar in all semi-romanticized teen pop culture: a duo of socially inept friends attempt to procure alcohol for a wild party in order to win one night stands from the objects of their affections, and in the process, an unspoken separation anxiety for the following year at separate colleges comes out. But despite the rank familiarity of the tale, somehow screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg manage to present a surprisingly touching as well as vile and hilarious (if not always realistic) portrait of the decline of teenage years and the nostalgic bittersweet twinge left behind. While it is true that the film may have little to say on the subject of high school that hasn't already been explored by countless films before, the voice in which the tale is related is a genuine one (one is left to wonder how much of the story is based on the screenwriters' actual lives...) and one which near anyone can relate to in some degree, or at least share a bawdy laugh with.
Another boost to the film's quality was the casting of mostly relative unknowns, who may be familiar faces from other similar comedies, but not well known enough to achieve 'name' status - much like the high school personas they inhabit here. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera's oddball chemistry makes for a surprisingly likable and highly relatable lead duo - these are guys everyone has gone to school with, sat in class with, bumped into in the halls and seen skulking off in the corner at a party. Providing great comedic support to an already highly comedic pair is newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who takes the oh so stereotypical nerdy sidekick role and somehow manages to squeeze fresh comedic potential out of it. Seth Rogen and Bill Hader, playing a pair of somewhat out of place party animal cops also manage to raise laughs unreasonably beyond the potential of their premise. Unfortunately, the performance lows are the already minimal female parts, who, unlike the believably crafted male characters, generally come across as contrived and often simply reduced to simply eye candy, though Martha MacIsaac and Emma Stone as the lust objects of the lead duo manage to give charismatic enough performances despite their disappointingly poorly written roles. It would seem keeping with the autobiographical note of the film that like their male protagonists, the screenwriters still aren't familiar enough with women to write plausible parts for them.
Yes the film is fraught with repetitive, stupid comedy and profane one-liners whizzing by, and yes it does reduce the essence of high school to drinking, sex, and drinking for the purpose of procuring sex, but the emotional heart and soul of the picture resonate strongly enough to make the film surprisingly endearing, providing an oddly charming inner core to the profane exterior. Superbad could be described as a sort of feel good film for recent high school graduates, or those reflecting back with a nostalgic tear on the crazy carefree days of their youth, or it could be described as a raucous, profane and gut bustingly hilarious take on the teenage dream, or at least a romanticized version of it - the reality being, the film somehow manages to seamlessly blend the two, distributing heartfelt sentiment with a cheery smile and an unapologetic innuendo, making the end result far more enjoyable than it had any right to be.
-7.5/10