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"Well, they're either gonna think,
here's another kid with a fake ID, or here's
McLovin,
the 25 year-old Hawaiian organ donor."
SUPERBAD
I saw a poster for
this movie back in February on my way out of the theatre
from Hot
Fuzz. I was excited because I saw Michael Cera from
Arrested
Development. "Dude! George-Michael is gonna be
in a movie!" Little did I
know that in about 5 months time I would
be walking out of that same
theatre after seeing what I can only
describe as the
Animal House of its
time.
The movie focuses on Seth and
Evan, who are two codependent high school
seniors weeks away from graduation. The problem is, they
are going to
different colleges after graduation. Seth and Evan have obviously gone
through adolescence
rather awkwardly; it's apparent they aren't the most
popular
guys in school. Their dilemma: they need to get
laid, and fast. If
they don't lose it before the end of high school, their chances
of getting
any in college are slim to none.
Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan
(Michael Cera) try to overcome their reputation
as dorks by promising to supply the booze for an end-of-the-year
party
being
thrown by the pretty, popular girl Jules (Emma Stone), who seems
to
like
Seth despite his loser persona. This party is the ultimate
solution to
their problems. They bring the booze, everyone loves them,
and they
finally get lucky being a girl's "drunken mistake." There's one flaw in this
plan however; they
have no idea where to get the alcohol.
Enter Fogell (played by film
rookie Chris Mintz-Plasse), who seems to be a
loser
even in the eyes Seth and Evan, whom talk to him, but keep it
short
whenever anyone's around. But Fogell has just received his
new fake
ID, giving him the name McLovin, a 25-year-old Hawaiian
organ donor.
While Fogell is trying to buy the drinks, the liquor store gets
robbed.
Enter the less than honorable officers
Slater (SNL's Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth
Rogan). Seeing the cops, Seth and Evan scat, assuming the
cops are
there
to bust Fogell. They apparently fall for Fogell's fake ID
because after
some humorous questioning, offer to drive McLovin to his party
and end up
spending most of the night having fun tearing up the town.
Hilarity
ensues
on all fronts.
Let's get on thing straight.
Superbad is raunchy, it is vulgar, but it also has
heart. Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg started writing the
script for this
movie at the age of 13, a time when they understood the highs
and lows of
adolescence, because they were right in the middle of it.
It is no
coincidence the names of the two main characters are the same as
the
writers. Superbad is an autobiography done with
love and care, a quality
unmatched by just about any other teen comedy.
Now, I'm not saying you should
take your grandma to see this movie, but
you have to appreciate the craftsmanship displayed by Rogan and
Goldberg.
I was amazed to discover that Christopher Mintz-Plasse had never
been in a
movie prior to Superbad; he steals the screen whenever he
appears. I see
big things in his future, along with the movies other two stars.
To be
truthful, I was unaware of Jonah Hill prior to this movie, but I
will be sure
to keep an eye on him from now on.
But the most promise I see comes
from Michael Cera, who at 19 has
already appeared in one of the best-reviewed television shows of
the age
(Arrested Development, if you haven't seen the show get
the DVDs now!),
and now given a great performance in what is sure to be the most
quoted
movie of this generation.
After eagerly counting down the
days since February all the way up to last
night, Superbad
was definitely worth the wait.
-- Ryan Harms; August 18th, 2007 |
