Written by: Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg
Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Rating: [4/5]
The things teenagers do in order to feel like they fit in with others truly terrifies in the degree they will go. Even as much as risking developing a criminal record for having fake identification to purchase alcohol underage. This idea along with a night of wild hijinks brings together Superbad. A feature unafraid to go the distance for its comedy and delivering so many fun moments that have withstood the test of time.
With high school on the verge of conclusion, best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) decide they need to go all-out when invited to a party. They decide to buy alcohol using their friend, Fogell’s (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) fake ID to get one but only gets much more complicated as the night goes on.
Going around and mentioning the word “McLovin” to anyone around in the 2000s guaranteed a laugh or a smile because of the legacy built by this film. One of the premier teen comedies of the time and one that still delivers all of the chuckles as these “losers” seek to make their first and last party in high school one they will remember. Not only in feeling like they belong with other members of their class but because they want to have sex, which definitely dominates the mindset of most teenage boys.
This very simple goal dominates the mind of these three guys in their pursuit where they will tempt the risk of getting caught with a fake identification and go through all of the nonsense that transpires in this feature. It all ultimately comes down to whether or not they can get laid by their crushes perfectly summarizing men overall, but especially of this age. Knowing things will change once they move onto college, this becomes their moment and this gung-ho attitude provides much of the laughs this feature has to offer.
From the onset, Superbad makes it clear Seth and Evan will not attend the same college as the former could not get into Dartmouth like the latter. This raises the stakes of this party experience going well on top of their quest for sex where they want to live it up together before college takes them away from each other. Something many could certainly relate to when this feature came out and why it continues to garner new fans with each new wave of teenagers. It captures a particular moment in the lives of these characters so well where things change for better or worse and all who have been through it can relate. Some friends move on and others get left behind, a split that can be seen in the relationship of Seth and Evan quite clearly.
Their night of debauchery begins in their attempt to buy alcohol for the party and only further descends from there. They eventually end up at various parties and intermingling with adults in some fairly dangerous ways but also ultimately memorable ones for the purposes of a movie. Having Evan do karaoke with some individuals enjoying cannabis certainly leads to some laughs while Seth dances with the wrong person for multiple reasons. Somehow these two manage to get into terrible circumstances but find a way to get out of it. You have to give them credit as no matter what situation they get into, they refuse to break the promise they made to the girls they crush on to deliver the alcohol. If they fail at anything it will not be at this, which leaves Seth running around with a laundry detergent container filled with alcohol.
While the lead actors do well in delivering the lines given to them, the bulk of the credit for this feature lies with the writing of Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg. They craft quite an irreverent story getting right into the mindset of teenage boys. They imbue relatability through a plot where one could possibly believe someone at an ABC store could not tell Fogell’s identification was fake. Rogn additionally steps in front of the camera as well giving off a tremendous comedic performance as Officer Michaels through the journey with McLovin. Their collaboration with director Greg Mottola works so well in framing everything happening in this story. Mottola while not terribly prolific with his output proves he can piece together some hilarious movies. Having gems like Adventureland and Confess, Fletch certainly proves that.
Wildly hilarious and still holds up unlike many super popular comedies of the mid-2000s, Superbad maintains its bite in crafting such a wild tale for these teenagers to remember. Something so full of life and madness meant to entertain but also shock audiences with what gets displayed. We get something so touching in moments with the scenes shared between these friends all mixed up in many comedic instances. Ultimately, this feature tells the story of three guys who want to get laid before they go off to college and we end up with something so enjoyable out of it because of its screenplay.
Films with Josh 
