A great movie, but totally unexpected!

Rating: 8/10 (9 September 2007)

It's always nice to walk into a movie and be pleasantly surprised. When I end up enjoying a movie I didn't expect much from, I can usually dumb down my answer and say something like, "I thought it was gonna suck, but it didn't!" Superbad was a great movie, but totally unexpected in the strangest of ways.
The film opens with two best friends, Seth and Evan; trying to decide what adult entertainment website they want to sign up for. For two seniors in high school who are three weeks away from graduation, this seems to be a big commitment. Seth (played by Jonah Hill) mentions to Evan (played by Michael Cera) something about telling Fogell (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse) that Evan won't be rooming with him next year at Dartmouth. The truth about this small and over looked quip comes spilling out later in the film.
What sets the film in motion is that Seth and Evan, two semi-losers on campus, are miraculously invited to the last senior party of the year which just happens to be the same day they got invited. The girl who invites the two entrusts Seth with bringing the alcohol and hands him the money to pay. As you've probably figured out, the film that ensues is basically a barrage of antics and plots to get the booze for the party which goes from bad to worse to disaster. Fogell even attempts to get his hands on some booze using a fake ID which bears one single name, McLovin.
The raunchy and juvenile humor never seems to stop, not to mention an entire montage of hand drawn penises; a disease that took Seth at the tender age of eight. The humor was actually quite witty and not something I would expect from what was supposed to be (or so I thought) one more teen sex comedy. The presence of two of the coolest police officers in the world (played by Bill Hader and Seth Rogan) add to the slacker hi-jinks and poked some great fun at law enforcement. But there is something unique in this film that sets Superbad apart from all the others.
Most people don't approach a movie like this thinking there is going to be some sort of great story and/or character development. This is what made Superbad great, it has both. Seth and Evan have been best friends since the sandbox, but suddenly, Evan is going away to Dartmouth; a school that Seth isn't smart enough to get into. As if that isn't bad enough, Evan hides the fact that he will in fact be roommates with Fogell. The two friends have been hiding things from each other, and Evan has been hiding his secret for all three years of high school. There are a handful of scenes where the truth comes spilling out. Seth is angry at Evan for applying and getting accepted to Dartmouth because Evan was well aware of the fact that Seth isn't smart enough to get in. Evan on the other hand, feels he needs to get away from Seth because Seth had been holding him back all throughout high school. Evan even has a line about how much more he could've accomplished without Seth, and now he's going to college friendless and a virgin.
Two best friends emptying their hearts to each other about how they feel about growing up and moving on in life; this was definitely not what people expected walking in. It's rare you actually get to see this level of character development (and well acted at that) in a teen film.
We went in expecting Euro trip but we got American Pie mixed with a better developed characters and a great story. All in all, the movie was great, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the two writers come up with. Go see this one, now!