By Jack
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Seth Rogen is fast-becoming a huge star in the Hollywood comedy circle. But I’m sure you are already aware of the recent rise of his career, so why waste time on that when I could be talking about penis jokes? Because this film has an abundance of them.
Arguably the most memorable of these scenes is the ‘Dick Montage’. As a child, Seth (Jonah Hill) had an affliction, which caused him to draw hundreds and hundreds of penises. All day long. We get to see many of these drawings in a beautiful montage, some of my favourites were the Unknown Rebel dick, standing strong before oncoming tanks, the Slim Pickens dick, riding the bomb that ends the world, and of course, the Mr. T dick.
Moving away from jokes of the crotchal region. I’d like to discuss, seriously, the film at hand. The basic storyline is that two best friends must buy $100 worth of alcohol, for a party. The reason for this is that the girls they both like are at that party, and they think buying the alcohol will secure them some sweet McLovin’. Meanwhile, their social disaster of a friend is cruising around with two cops who are just out to have a good time.
This film at first glance is just another teen movie. It utilises methods of shock and ‘gross-out’ humour, seen all too often in films such as the American Pie franchise. It also has the cliché plotline of teenage lads attempting to get laid. But Superbad is so much more than that. The film is rife with witty jokes, hilarious one-liners and realistic dialogue. This, amongst other things, is what makes it stand out from the rest. The humour is not restricted to simplicity and cheap laughs, some of the more memorable lines from this film will be quoted for years. “You only have one name. Who do you think you are? Seal?”
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<Above: Possibly a penis joke being told.>
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The actors play their roles perfectly in this, and when combined with the natural dialogue it gives a very solid effect. The atmosphere in this film is true to life for teenagers of that age, immature discussions, jovial insults, and a general awkwardness in new situations. Such films as American Pie, and Road Trip only tell half of the story. They do manage to portray the immature side of the characters, and the obsession with sex. But they steer well clear of the finer points. Superbad lovingly gathers these points off the edge of the dusty road, and slams them into your jugular. And it manages it with admirable results.
Surprisingly, it was not a film with bad character creation that reminded me of the importance of the characters, but a film that sculpts its characters so well, that you end up feeling a bond with them. Superbad was this film. Seth and Evan (Michael Cera), who, incidentally were named after the film’s writers; Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, play off each other perfectly. These two young actors handle their roles in a manner that reflects each other’s attributes, and hides each other’s flaws.
The smooth dialogue and well-written characters make this film what it is. Not only the lead roles, but also Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fogell/McLovin’, who must now be being praised by nerds all over the world for his supreme awkwardness and lack of cool. When Fogell first walked into the classroom and spoke his debut lines, I have to admit; I could see myself hating him. But as the film rolled on, McLovin’ fast became one of my favourite characters in the film. The sheer uncoolness of his character somehow made him cool. It could be applied that two negatives make a positive, but frankly, I don’t understand how it worked.
Fogell was a nugget of comedy gold on his own, but when he joined forces with Officer Michaels and Officer Slater, that is when he truly shined. These two are, I must say, the most awesome cops I have ever seen. Played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader, the Officers were committing more crimes than they were solving. The antics of Michaels, Slater and McLovin’ (Which, by the way, is what I am calling my first-born son.) must have brought the biggest laughs from the cinema audience. At one point, I could swear that I heard a polite titter, although I cannot be sure, because I myself was attempting to stifle an outward expression of mirth. I forgot to mention that I live in England, where it is considered uncouth to show emotions in public.
Beyond all the hilarity there is a deeper level to the film. Seth and Evan, who have been friends since they can remember, now have to split up and head their different ways, to college or whatever awaits. They both have a clear internal battle throughout the film, as they try to come to terms with the future of their friendship, and also struggle to admit to themselves and each other what they mean to one another. The message here, which is not tried to put across subtly, is that friendships do end at that point in a person’s life, it happens to everyone, and can be hard to deal with. This message in a comedy of this genre is quite touching, and is handled well where it could have been bundled up as cheddar.
Overall, this film was highly enjoyable. It will no doubt be joining others such as Anchorman at the top of the Golden Comedy Halls in my mind. I have been left craving more from the actors and writers involved in this, and when they come, I daresay I won’t be disappointed. I suggest that anybody who has not seen this should rectify that problem immediately. It isn’t advisory to take young children, whom the age restriction should keep out anyway, or parents, because there are a hell of a lot of penis jokes in this. Also, the word ‘Fuck’ is uttered over 180 times.
In the veritable sack of shit that teenage comedies reside in, Superbad really is a diamond in the rough. (I have been itching to include the word ‘veritable’ for this whole review.)
Jack awards Superbad – 9/10 Awesomes.
