I like some of Judd Apatow's productions, but honestly don't get what's so great about this film!

Rating: 4/10 (7 September 2010)

Released three years ago, this comedy was a huge hit, and I can't remember when I first heard of it, but it was a while ago. I was obviously in no hurry to watch it, but finally decided I was going to do so recently because of Michael Cera's co-starring role in it. This got me curious, since I had yet to see him in anything good, and could see that "Superbad" was a very popular comedy. Previously, I had seen Cera in "Juno" and "Year One", and while the former is far more popular than the latter, I was not impressed with either film. Still, since this R-rated 2007 comedy was such as massive success, I still intended to give it a chance, which I did. It seems most people who have seen this movie like it a lot, but I most certainly do not.
Seth and Evan are two unpopular high school friends who are nearing the end of their senior year and will be attending different colleges, meaning they will soon be separated. One day at school, their friend, Fogell tells them that he is getting a fake ID, meaning he can buy alcoholic beverages. Seth's love interest is Jules and Evan's is Becca, and after Fogell tells the two boys about his fake ID, they both promise their love interests that they will buy booze for a big party which they have surprisingly been invited to. With his new card, which says he is 25 years old, Fogell goes to the liquor store to make purchases, and almost succeeds before he is assaulted by a robber! When police arrive, they seem to fall for Fogell's fake ID, but when Seth and Evan see that there are police at the store, they think their friend has been busted! They soon find another way they can get booze for their party. While these two are on their mission that night, Fogell has a blast with the two incompetent cops he met at the liquor store, Officer Slater and Officer Michaels, who still seem to think he's 25 years old!
After seeing Michael Cera, who plays Evan here, in three movies, I've come to the conclusion that I don't like him as an actor. I can't remember exactly what I thought of his performance in "Juno" (though it certainly didn't stand out), but thought he was rather bad in "Year One", and didn't think he was any better in "Superbad". I haven't seen Jonah Hill (Seth) in any other lead role, but was not too impressed with his performance here, either. However, this movie's main problem is that it's usually not funny at all. Some parts did make me laugh, including Seth's rant to his Home Ec teacher and the questions Officer Slater and Michaels ask the liquor store cashier, but I usually kept a perfectly straight face. Watching the two main characters talk about sex, vaginas, penises etc. was boring, and there are a number of memorably lame parts, such as Seth talking about how he loved to draw penises as a kid and how he got in trouble for it, Francis (the guy who takes Seth and Evan to a different party where they can steal some alcohol) getting beaten up, Seth getting period blood on his pants, etc. The scenes with Fogell out with the two crazy cops also didn't usually amuse me. I also didn't care for the characters and thought the premise was pathetic, one about high school students on a mission to get liquored up underage and have sex.
Many modern comedies are extremely raunchy, and this 2007 release is definitely one of them. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly willing to laugh when this kind of comedy film is actually funny, like I did many times while watching "The 40 Year Old Virgin", another Judd Apatow production, which I thought was VERY funny overall, and even the 2008 Apatow-produced "Step Brothers", as much as many people hate that film and probably have good reasons. However, I really don't think "Superbad" is very funny at all, even if most viewers would disagree with me. It's a lot like "American Pie", with a very similar premise, which is not a good thing, but I found this 2007 romantic high school comedy to be worse than that 1999 one, though they're both overrated. When I finally watched "There's Something About Mary" for the first time earlier this year, I thought it was perhaps the most overrated comedy I had ever seen, but that 1998 Farrelly Brothers hit may have just been topped!