"Superbad"- Full review

"Superbad" (written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and directed by Greg Mottola) is yet another hilarious film released in what has become the Year of the Great Comedy. It tells the story of Seth ("Knocked Up's" Jonah Hill) and Evan ("Arrested Development's" Michael Cera) in the final days of high school.
Their desires are simple and typical of the average teenager. It's Seth's last chance to get Jules (Emma Stone) and Evan's last chance for Becca (Martha MacIsaac). Jules is throwing a party and needs alcohol. When Seth and Evan's third wheel Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is able to get ahold of a fake I.D., the boys have the perfect in. Get the girls the booze and be heroes. Fogell's fake Hawaiian I.D. simply says McLovin on it. Miraculously the I.D. works but after a liquor store robbery, Seth and Evan are on their own when it comes to getting the booze. Meanwhile Fogell is riding around with the most inept cops outside of Reno (Rogen and "Hot Rod's" Bill Hader).
"Superbad" could have been just a lame teen comedy, but the script by Rogen and Goldberg, while packed to the brim with crude humor, is incredibly smart. The situations are ridiculous and outlandish but Seth and Evan are believable all the way. Hill is terrific as the desperate Seth and Cera (who raised playing an awkward teen to the level of art on "Arrested Development") gives an amazingly hilarious performance as Evan. His timing and delivery could not be better. This is a guy with a big future in comedy. Mintz-Plasse's McLovin is going to be the new teen icon. Mark my words, we'll be seeing McLovin t-shirts by October. (I'll buy one!) Rogen and Hader are outstanding as well. I've been a fan of Rogen since his days on "Freaks and Geeks" so it's great to see him get the kind of recognition he's been getting lately.
This has been compared by many to "American Pie" and "Dazed and Confused," but "Superbad" is a far better film than either of those. It has more substance than "Pie" and has none of the pretentiousness of "Dazed." At it's heart this is a movie about the last days of what has been a lifelong friendship. As someone who's been seeing a lot of close friends move or otherwise drift away lately this really connected with me.
"Superbad" is a painfully funny movie that you will love. I've already watched it twice! 9/10.