Superbad (2007) Poster

(2007)

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9/10
Incredibly funny comedy
masonsaul13 April 2020
Superbad is an incredibly funny comedy that's heartwarming, hilarious and shocking. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are incredible and have amazing chemistry. Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Emma Stone are great. Seth Rogen and Bill Harder are perfect, consistently hilarious throughout but unfortunately steal every scene even when they're not supposed to. Greg Mottola's direction is great, it's well filmed and well paced. The music by Lyle Workman and the soundtrack are both really good.
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8/10
Hilarious Jonah Hill and the nerdy Michael Cera
SnoopyStyle16 February 2014
Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are high school best friends and nerdy outsiders. It's almost the end of high school, and they're going their separate ways. Their weird friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) claims to be getting a fake ID. Seth is hot for friendly Jules (Emma Stone). When Jules invites Seth to her party, he volunteers to buy the booze. He's counting on Fogell to get the alcohol, but his fake ID name says McLOVIN.

I love the friendship between Jonah Hill and Michael Cera. Jonah is the break out star. He is hilariously loud. And McLOVIN will forever live on. For these and so much more, this movie is crazy funny.

The only problem is that Officer Slater (Bill Hader) and Officer Michaels (Seth Rogen) are way too silly. They're drawing focus away from the kids. It's a mistake. The movie is about the kids. They should be the ones doing stupid things. They should be the ones having the hilarities. The cops should be more straight. That way it would be more relatable, and much more funny.
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10/10
Mclovin
bevo-1367831 March 2020
I like the bit where the cops get drunk and do silly things
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10/10
The Last Great American Comedy Film
ryanpersaud-5941529 January 2022
The Good:

In the spirit of a horny teenage boy awkwardly confessing his love to his crush of forever, I'm just going to list everything I love about this comedy classic.

The ambiguous time period. Superbad looks, sounds, and feels like the 1970s (hence the title), with warm browns and oranges, a grainy "shot-on-film" feel, and a killer funk inspired soundtrack. Yet, it's clearly a movie set in the 2000s, with the cellphones, and the PS2s and the cars in the background. It's almost as if the movie is sub-communicating how timeless it would eventually become. Which, whether intentional or not, is telling as to how brilliant this raunchy, vulgar comedy truly is.

Jonah Hill and Michael Cera's chemistry in this film is UNREAL. They sound, act, and feel like actual friends and the reality that they've never done another movie together sort of propels their dynamic in this film to LEGENDARY status. There's nothing to compare them to really; they are one of cinema's all time duos in this one, perfectly balancing off one another.

It calls back to another amazing aspect of this film; how realistic the teenagers look and act in this film. Clearly everyone is in their mid 20s, but most of the teens look like seniors on the cusp of graduation. More than that, they ACT realistically. One thing American high school films always get wrong is the "clique." They're really not as rigid as films and TV portray; people frequently talk to, hang out with, and befriend people outside of their clique on a regular basis. Superbad nails how high school isn't a straightforward tribal hierarchy. It's a web of relationships.

I know that sounds like a weird thing to praise this movie for, but it all culminates in one of the best party montages I've seen put to film. It's super satisfying not just to see our heroes finally get to the Promised Land, but for it to be a party filled with generally realistic people. It harkens back to parties I went to back in the day; maybe that's why this movie speaks to me so much.

Speaking of realism, this film managed to impact pop culture going forward with the inclusion of the iconic Christopher Mintz-Plasse as McLovin. It's kind of appropriate he came and went; I'd be surprised if he could ever top this role, to be honest. A testament to exceptional casting throughout this film, there's no one else I could imagine possibly being McLovin than this dude.

What else can I say? The writing is basically perfect, with so many jokes crammed into this that you can watch it dozens of times and still find new things to laugh at. The performances are top notch from absolutely everyone, whether they're minor characters or romantic interests. The movie's real message about friendship and growing up is unbelievably heart warming.

AND THAT ENDING. Would anyone have expected a movie about two horny teenage boys trying to deliver alcohol to a party for the express purposes of getting laid to end like this? For it to tug at your heart strings and wish there was another movie right after? I don't think so.

Bad: It's Super.

The Ugly: I'm going to say it. Superbad is probably the last great American comedy film. There have been good comedies since, for sure, but do any of them even come close to Superbad? It'll be 15 years in 2022 since this movie came out, and honestly, it hasn't been topped. All hail the baddest of them all.
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Impressive
Gordon-1131 August 2018
Normally I don't like this kind of film about teenagers trying to act like adults, but this film really works. It is funny, it has brotherhood, friendship and romance all in one. It is impolite at times but it is not over the top. It doesn't feel annoying or stupid either, which is actually quite impressive.
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7/10
Holy Crap This Movie Was Amazing!!!!
dafteskimo18 July 2007
Okay, so today i went to an advanced screening of this movie. It was really last minute and I didn't know much about it other than it was from the makers of The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up and it looked pretty funny.

I expected it to be funny, but my expectations were blown out of the water. It was extremely smart and pretty much believable. Well, some of the situations are a little ridiculous, but what's a good comedy without a little nonsense? But the characters were all so awesome.

There were a few parts where i was a little uncomfortable. There are some pretty explicit drawings in it so you might not want to see it with younger siblings or parents. But I'm telling you, this movie was super funny.
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9/10
Comedy Special
kosmasp18 April 2014
Maybe back then you couldn't tell what would become of Jonah Hill eventually (an Oscar nominated actor, playing with/against Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio) ... actually if you told anyone back then this would happen, they'd have written that in the script, because it would have sounded hilarious.

Speaking of hilarious: That's something that can be said about this movie. Of course many will start comparing this with American Pie, Porkys and what not. But the movie stands on its own two feet and has been copied a lot itself. Never to that success and never as good as "Superbad" obviously. If you like your teen comedies to be raunchy and dirty, this is exactly your cup of tea. After watching this, you might also be McLovin (this) ... no relation to any Fast Food chain by the way ...
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7/10
Supergood
Ltufano2324 October 2023
Coming of age films typically come through rose tinted glasses of the teenage years in modern America. Superbad holds back no punches and embraces the awkward, cringey phases that everyone goes through as they try to fit in. The cast excel at their roles and each actor makes the story feel more fun and exciting. Everyone works so well off of each other and that makes their jokes land harder almost every time. With so many iconic jokes and quotable lines, this film buries itself in your brain and checks in for life. Though the edgy, teenage humor has been done thousands of times since 2007, Superbad still feels fresh and still captures laughs and relatability from new and repeat viewers.
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6/10
"Super Bad" is very funny, but had the potential to be a great movie too
butchfilms28 December 2008
"Super Bad" is great until the moment the two policemen appears, from that scene it stop being clever to become just a funny movie that is only looking for the easy laugh (like most of the comedies we are used to watch), that is not a bad thing, I like that kind of comedy too, but the problem is that "Super Bad" promised much more of what it finally delivers, it could been the best teen boys comedy movie ever, which dealt with the boys interest in the opposite sex. I think this movie deserves an average of 6.8 stars.

The star of the film is Jonah Hill who is very good as the smart ass Seth (who is very funny making jokes and comments), on the other hand I didn't like the character Evan, this character is so annoying (he could haven been made not so naive). Christopher Mintz-Plasse was great playing the Fogell character, I enjoyed every moment he was on screen because he is very funny in a rare way like mr bean.

The plot is about two best friends Seth and Evan with a secondary character Fogell who have their last chance to lose their virginity at a party before going to the university. They will have to face problems taking a lot of beer to the party in order to have sex with pretty girls.

I recommend watching it because is very funny, despite the two policemen characters who are funny too but the didn't belong to this film. Enjoy it.
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8/10
Supergood Millennials Coming of Age Film
Instant_Palmer27 April 2020
A lot can happen in 24 hours when two best-buddy co-dependent outlier H/S Seniors get an invite to the "big party". Teaming up with a third-wheel friend getting his fake ID with just one name "McLovin" starts the ball rolling down a steep slippery slope of chaotic comic events, and rapidly turns into a day and night that will forever be ingrained in their memories.

One of the best coming of age films of the 2000s, the awkward moments are played with deft skill by Cera, Hill (one of his best performances that opened many doors for him in future films) and Mintz-Plasse (steals the show), with the screenplay co-written by Seth Rogan. A must see film for teens and older.

On my IMDb list of the "Top 25 All-Time Best "Buddy Films" list.
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6/10
You can like this film all you want but as far as I'm concerned, it was Super BAD.
Freebird31422 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is going to sound more like a script for a video but that kid of what I 'm looking for.

Well, there were a lot of things i disliked about this film. To make a start, I didn't like seeing the same stereotypical characters; Seth was the macho try-to-be badass, Even was the play-it-safe type character and Mcloven was just a nerd who tried to to take chances but always was to nervous to succeed. The only plot I seen in the film was to get beer for a party and the adventures three guys can get into to just get beer; I believe I've seen this on Saved by the Bell once. The jokes were really mundane, other than hear Seth say "fuck" about a million times over, there were only a few other jokes. Let me name a few, kid who draws penises, girl has period on guys leg, macho cops (what are we ten?) There was also a relationship between the two main characters that seemed like a direct rip from Clerks 2. Okay, I'm done. You can like this film all you want but as far as I'm concerned, it was Super BAD.
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4/10
Top 250? No, Bottom!
filmimperator4 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
After I looked "Superbad" two questions came into my mind. First: Why should Seth Rogen write a screenplay after he acted so well in "Knocked Up"? and 2nd: Why was this movie rated to Top 250 in IMDb? "Superbad" hasn't a story (underaged people only cruise around to get alcohol for a party) and the gags aren't funny. All the plot is about male virgins who want to have sex and talk about it, about alcohol and strange cops who are kids in mind. That's all. Yes, sometimes some jokes about vomiting or drunk people are funny, but they can't be the only content of a movie. Yes, the story and the stereotype characters are entertaining on a low level, but there should be more than the average plot of "American Pie" to fill 90 minutes and more. Critical oder serious elements I hadn't found during looking the movie and so I wished, that this teen-trash is over soon. Maybe other people would be found, that this movie is very funny and brilliant. But "Superbad" only repeats elements of earlier puberty comedies without vary the gags oder the story. Only weak this movie.
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8/10
The most ambitious teen rompcom I've ever seen
rooprect29 February 2020
Yes, it's funny. It's silly, it's crass, it's irreverant, and it has all the makings of a mindless adolescent farce like the ones I grew up with from American Pie to Revenge of the Nerds and all their sequels. But when this movie ended and the credits rolled I was left speechless in awe. And not just because of all the penis drawings during the credits.

"Superbad" is, as you may expect from any film produced by Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, etc), on the raunchy side. So don't be surprised if you see a penis drawing or 2. But what makes this an amazing film is that despite all the raunchiness and partying and horseplay it actually delivers some powerful human and sentimental themes.

In the hands of an inferior cast, it would have flopped and come across as cheesy. But with these actors, each delivering a larger than life performance despite playing high school seniors, it's magnificent. I'll give you just 1 example of what I'm talking about...

There's a scene where 2 characters are gearing up for a sexual encounter (their first). But one of them (and arguably both) are not ready for it. Unlike all the teen romps that I grew up with, where the goal is for the guy to bed the girl, this scene makes us put the brakes on and consider: Wait... Why is the goal always for the guy to bed the girl?? And at the same time it's really funny and does not sacrifice the film's momentum. I won't ruin the ending of the scene, but let's just say it's satisfying on every level and punctuated with a great gag to make us laugh.

"Superbad" is truly an evolution of the genre. It's every bit as crass and wacky and full of horseplay as all the others since Porky's, but this is the first time one of these mindless comedies dares to make us think and feel on a deeper level. Like I said, it's largely due to the great casting. Michael Cena, if you're not familiar, plays his signature role of an awkward deer-in-the-headlights kid but with a strong sense of who he is, even though nobody else seems to understand. Jonah Hill plays his best friend, sort of the antithesis: a loser who thinks he knows what he wants but he's really quite confused. Emma Stone knocks it out of the park with a great role that's quirky, cool, rebellious and responsible all at the same time. Rounding out the troupe are Bill Hader and Seth Rogan who play a pair of despicable yet loveable cops whose combined IQ is around the same as their blood alcohol level.

This flick has it all. It's definitely for mature audiences in terms of language (at least the unrated cut I watched), but ironically it has some great messages for teens and younger viewers, if you can see through the tomfoolery. There aren't many films I can compare this to, but if you've seen "Easy A" with Emma Stone (somewhat tamer than this), I'd say "Superbad" has the same vibe. A seemingly silly teen comedy that packs a serious punch under the surface.
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8/10
Surprisingly Hilarious
Datura61825 April 2007
I was able to catch a screening of 'Superbad' last night in NYC and I was very pleased with the movie. I'm sure most will compare this to an 'American Pie' like comedy, but it's so much more than that. There were some "shock value" moments, but very well done to tip the scale more to funny than to gross.

It is a teen movie, so 'Superbad's plot is obviously basic. It's the performances of the 3 friends (Seth, Evan, and 'McLovin' Fogell) that really make it great. I am big Michael Cera fan thanks to the brilliant TV series "Arrested Development", and other fans will be delighted to see his equally hilarious performance as Evan. The movie has the sexually driven banter and gross outs that will appeal to 'American Pie' viewer and the smart timing and acting that will appeal to the 'Arrested Development' viewer. What was really surprising to me was the touching (platonic) relationship that Evan and Seth have. Also, 'McLovin' Fogell, is an absolute nerdy delight.

The only negative thing I noticed that it was a bit drawn out toward the middle, but it really picks up after. Overall it's a great time and might just be a success at the box office. Bad teen comedies are a dime a dozen, but 'Superbad' is a shiny golden egg!
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One of the well written and best performed comedies of the decade
darkknightr14 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Superbad is one of the well written and best performed comedies of the decade. It totally cracked me up after a long time with its fresh authentic jokes. After being numbed by Hollywood clichéd teen comedies, Superbad gave me some genuine laughs. One might classify this movie as modern day 'American Pie' but it has got much more than that. I don't know how I missed out on Superbad initially. Now it's definitely going into my favorites.

Jokes in the movie originate from storyline without jeopardizing the flow and pace. You have to give it to Seth Rogen for his brilliant writing. I am a fan of Seth Rogen's works ever since 'Knocked up'. You can definitely see Apatow's style throughout movie. Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, who are two pillars of the story, delivered some excellent piece of acting here. Especially Jonah Hill has awesome dialog delivery skills. His character is not the usual high school fat kid who does freaky stuffs. He rather plays a sensitive, smart and equally funny role. Emma Stone is irresistibly hot with her new looks that suits her quite well. The cool irresponsible cop roles played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader, sabotaging every possible investigation, is so hilarious to watch. You can also find other Apatow's usual cast doing their part.

Another nice thing about Superbad is that the crude and explicit nature of jokes are smartly exploited which makes them enjoyable eliminating the gross element. It's quite rare to find a comedy movie that's so natural, funny and fast-paced. If you want to take a break, spend some time without getting bored, Superbad is recommended. The movie has some feel-good elements too. You'll get to know when you see.
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7/10
The clue is in the name ;o)
bowmanblue27 November 2018
I first watched 'Superbad' and I didn't like it much. In short: totally forgettable. It was only as the years went by did I realise quite how much of a 'cult following' it had, so I decided to give it another go. I have to say that it gets better each time I watched it. I can only assume I was in the mood for something a little more serious and 'high-brow' when I initially sat down. However, now I know what I'm getting, I'm quite happy to watch and rewatch it every few years. Think 'American Pie' only less intellectual!

It's difficult not to mention the (sort of) 'ground breaking' 'American Pie' film when talking about 'Superbad.' Any story that centres around young High School-age lads who are on a quest to - er - 'get better acquainted' with members of the opposite s3x in a short period of time, will always draw comparisons with the 'Pie' franchise. Here, we have three boys (Jonah Hill as 'Seth,' Michael Cera as his best mate 'Evan' and Christopher Mintz-Plasse stealing every scene as 'Fogell' (or rather 'McLovin' I should say). They are the archetypal nerds who never really know what to say around girls and are reduced to working out ways to 'trick' the fairer s3x into liking them during a graduation party before they all leave for college (that's 'University' to us Brits!).

Naturally, their plot doesn't go to plan and what follows is everything from singing (badly!) in front of drug dealers, to throwing Molotov cocktails at police cars - so you typical night out when you were about 18. It's all in very bad taste and if you're in any way offended by s3xual-related gags, swearing and generally 'adult' situations and humour then you should stay well clear. However, if you're in the mood for something pretty low-brow then you'll definitely find it here.

I liked the relationship between Seth and Evan. Yes, it's hard to make stereotypical 'nerds' that different from any other depiction you've already seen, but they certainly have chemistry and you do feel as if they would be the type to hang out together in real life. They're flawed and not totally 'heroic,' but then aren't we all? In short - they're relatable. However, as I mentioned it's Christopher Mintz-Plasse who is the real star of the film. His character gets separated from the other two early on and has his own little adventure with a couple of... well, not exactly corrupt, but also hardly 'untouchable' police officers, played by Seth Rogan and Bill Hader. Somehow, everything about this completely mismatched pairing of cops and nerd works and is a true joy to behold. As I eluded to, it helped cement 'McLovin' as a term/name we all know and love.

Personally, for me 'Superbad' is up there with those few films that I really didn't like on first watch and yet I totally changed my opinion after time ('Anchorman' is another, curiously). I'm not sure if this experience resonates with anyone else, but all I can say is that it's dumb, rude and - yes - super 'bad' ('bad' being slang for good in today's youth - so I'm told).
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6/10
Superbad is an uneven teen-sex comedy that still entertains
tavm21 September 2007
After about a month of playing theatres, I finally got to see Superbad with my friend after seeing the other movies that had come out that we wanted to see. My friend liked it though he thought it had too much profanity. I didn't have a problem with the language but I did think the funny stuff came in little doses between several scenes that dragged. I liked the performances of Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and Chris Mintz-Plasse as the high school seniors trying to get laid two weeks before graduation as well as the slacker cops played by Bill Hader and the movie's co-writer Seth Rogen. But their performances weren't enough to make this a hilariously funny movie like I usually expect from producer Judd Apatow who had no hand in writing this movie like he had in his previously very funny directorial outings, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Still, despite its unevenness, Superbad does get points for making the main characters' growing pains seem real and for getting the potential girlfriends of Hill and Cera not seem like such sluts...
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10/10
Hilarious and also in many ways heartwarming.
wwe79617 October 2010
This movie is one of the funniest of the 21st century. The jokes are hilarious, and it is spoken by a great cast. Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, and others are excellent in their roles. The characters they play you really latch on to you. They are extremely likable in many ways. The dialogue is also superb. It's a fast moving script that gives many great lines by the end of the movie. Also at the end I sorta felt some happiness. It's one thing to make me laugh throughout, but to make a vulgar comedy like this actually make my heart warm is a very big plus. It's a film about friendship, and that message manages to find its way through all the vulgar stuff.

4 stars out of 4
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7/10
Great humor and realism
Timbo_Watching3 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Seth Rogen always plays part in hilarious films in my opinion.

I love the humor in this film, even the sheer amount of awkwardness from the protagonists makes me smile and chuckle, making this film very enjoyable to watch. It felt very cringy at times but funny at the same time. Overall the acting felt quite real too. It felt like I was just watching an adventure of 3 very socially awkward guys on their way to become less socially awkward and actually hook-up with some girls.

The last scene of the film was a quite sad one. A very realistic one at that, one that I can relate to quite a bunch. Almost always people grow apart from each other, especially with something like transisitioning from highschool to college/university. You or them might get a girlfriend (in a guys' view) so you can spend less time together. That and you move to different schools, so that makes for even less time; which makes the friendship go even further apart. For a film that feels like such dumb humor fun like this one, it had an awful lot of realism as we saw great friends spending their adventure, which may even be the last one judging from that last scene.

I definitely recommend this film if you want to be slapped by reality while having great laughs!
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9/10
One of the greats
ShaeSpencer16 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I will die on the hill that this is a classic.

I usually hate the sense of humor in this sort of movie. But somehow, it really, really works here. I don't know if I can think of another movie that's this consistently funny. It's so well constructed. Masterful set-ups, callbacks, misunderstandings, and put downs. So many perfect, sublime moments:

-Seth's series of daydreams about getting booze. -"Fogel?! HI!" -"Have you ever looked into his eyes? It was like the first time I heard The Beatles!" -"Yeah... They said that would happen in health class." -"That was Yoda, from 'Attack of the Clones.'" -"You guys got a Myspace, or...?" (Joe Lo Truglio is one of the best scene-stealers alive.) -"Hey Greg, why don't you piss your pants again?" -"I wanna shout it from the rooftops! I love my best friend!" -"I just don't understand why you have to be such a little bitch about it." Then, seconds later, "Go get Gabby!!" -On the subject of Fogel's brown vest: "You look like Pinocchio!" -But NOTHING in cinematic history beats that weird, dismissive little hand gesture flourish thing Evan does before launching into a (forced) verse of "These Eyes." Hahahahhaha...

I saw somebody say recently that this is one of the best-casted comedies of all time, and I wholeheartedly agree. I mean, has there ever been a more self-assured debut than Christopher Mintz-Plasse's here?

All that stuff is great, but what really puts this over the top is the story at the core: Two inseperable best friends trying not to think about the fact that they're about to go to different colleges. The heartache is so good!
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6/10
Do not go in with high expectations ...
snowmanwilly13 September 2007
Before I watched this movie I checked its IMDb rating and was convinced by 30,000 IMDb users that the movie was 8.4/10. This put it ahead of Scarface, The Princess Bride, and The Big Lebowski on the top 250 movies list. In my opinion Superbad is no where near as good as any of these 3 movies.

SUPERBAD is not SUPERGOOD. It's not even good. At best it's 6/10.

Superbad is not groundbreaking in its material. Superbad does not flow well at all and is veeeeerrrryyy drawn out in lots of places. I think American Pie was much funnier, with more action, and with better character interactions.

But perhaps it was just my high expectations. However, when a movie rates higher than a movie like The Big Lebowski, my expectations go through the roof.

I will concede that Jonah Hill was brilliant in patches, but he had some scenes that were so stupid they more than offset the good ones.

Conclusion: Average comedy that shouldn't rate on the top 250 list amongst the classics.
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2/10
Very disappointed.
treezy-112 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is not the sort of film that I would normally watch. I saw a preview for it, and thought that very thing and discounted it. However, several factors made me rethink this decision, including two 4 star ratings in Empire Magazine and the local paper, and hearing that it was done by the same guy that was in Knocked up (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

So, last night I went.

And it was awful. From the first scene I wanted to leave, but I can't leave films ever (just in case they improve). I thought the character of Seth was completely unlikeable. He was insensitive, rude, obnoxious, incredibly crass - actually I can't think of a single redeeming quality. Evan's character was nice and it just didn't make sense for them to be friends.

I just think that it didn't know whether it wanted to be over the top crazy-funny (which might have worked better) or just normal funny (which IMHO really didn't).

McLovin was probably the best thing in the film, but even the few bits where I chuckled could not save the film. It was a shame as it had a great opening titles sequence.

And while I could definitely get the Evan and Becca thing, the Seth and Jules thing just didn't work, as he is such a horrible person, and she actually had substance. Just because Seth carried Evan, doesn't mean he doesn't still think about women like they are a piece of meat.

I just don't get how this film is so highly rated. I simply don't.
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9/10
Funniest Movie I've Seen In A Long Time
unscripted126 July 2007
I got to see an advanced screening the other night, complete with an interview with the cast. I figured this movie could go either way, especially when you consider "40 year-old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" were funny and entertaining, but they weren't exactly loved by all.

I am happy to say this movie was wonderful. The jokes are crude, but dead on, and unlike recent movies with a similar style, like "Clerks 2," the plot moves on without any real downtime (you know, where the plot slows the progress of humor and you find yourself checking your watch). Jonah Hill and Michael Cera have that best friend chemistry that this movie required as well as being dead on with their jokes. The real star of the movie, however, was newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who took the role of Fogell and OWNED it. I got the chance to chat with the actors and I was not only surprised to hear that both Mintz-Plasse and Michael Cera are 18 and 19 respectively.

For the type of movie this is and the brilliant script that Seth Brogen has presented, there is no reason why anyone, young or old, can't relate to this off-the-wall comedy. See this movie!
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9/10
One teenage comedy with extra wit and soul
StevePulaski11 April 2012
Superbad is a parable of values and friendship, reminding us that a good and earnest moral upbringing will be able to safely glide us through life and make us achieve happiness much easier. Its characters are well-mannered and sweet, not to mention inherently likable, as well as everything being morally correct and admirable.

Now onto the real review. Superbad is a shamelessly raunchy R-rated comedy with more four letter words than a Webster dictionary. Again, this sounds like the introduction I'd give a poorly rated film. By no means is Superbad a bad comedy. It is a smart, witty, and factual teen movie side-stepping clichés and underwritten primary characters, while at the same time remaining funny and entertaining until the end.

2007 was the year where Judd Apatow took off. He gained attention in 2005 with The 40 Year Old Virgin, but pretty much garnered a household name with this and Knocked Up, both starring Seth Rogen. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that Superbad is an autobiography, since the writers of the film, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, share the same names as the lead actors. Maybe that could be why this feels so sentimental and close to home. Or maybe it's because Superbad is aware what kind of unsettling situations high school can put you through and knows how to document them in a fun way.

The film centers around loudmouth pervert Seth (Hill) and self-conscious, paranoia-stricken Evan (Cera) as they endure their last few weeks of being high schoolers before they are shipped off to separate colleges. Seth and Evan have been friends for years, and are tired of the fact that their separate ways have been the talk of their parents and friends.

Seth has a crush on the recently-popular Jules (Stone), a beautiful redhead, who trusts him with supplying alcohol for her party. Evan has a crush on Becca (MacIsaac), a sweet and simple girl who agrees to meet up with him at Jules' upcoming party as well. In order to purchase the alcohol, both Seth and Evan trust their pal Fogel (Mintz-Plasse), who plans to acquire a fake ID. Because of this ID, Fogel now becomes his fake name, "McLovin," a name that has garnered much fame on the web.

The night unfolds into a chaotic spectacle of unprecedented stature, so much so that I won't go into explaining the routes and acts of desperation the characters take in order to be liked, admired, or even noticed. Fogel winds up teaming up with two police officers (Hader and Rogen) who act more like the bad guys rather than good guys. This setup and sort of topsy-tursvy treatment of character roles create limitless comedic possibilities, most of which are well utilized.

But what truly makes the film work is its level of realism and intelligence. It has wit, and puts it to use. The writing and acting captures the awkwardness of the teenage lifestyle with pinpoint accuracy, at the same time makes it fun and painful to witness. I can think of quite a few films that allow their characters to thrive on ego and self-interest, with no redeeming qualities. Here, the characters in Superbad just want to fit in and achieve the girl of their dreams, but shallow stereotypes and one stutter too many prevent this goal from happening.

Superbad is quite a rarity; a funny, good-natured comedy focusing on things of the immoral nature. Just like with American Pie, too many people believe these films are just raucous sex comedies with no substance, soul, or charm. The characters are likable and charismatic, and lack the oh-so-typical nihilistic, "I just want to have sex with anything that moves" mentality. Some may be surprised at the level of nuanced emotional instances the film reaches. The performances are fun, the writing is polished and witty, and the antics never seem to go over the top. It's too bad the women roles in the film feel a tad underwritten. Hopefully we have something like Supergood to explore that angle sometime soon.

Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Emma Stone, and Martha MacIsaac. Directed by: Greg Mottola.
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6/10
"I am...McLovin"
Vaughanmister27 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
"Superbad" is not a bad film, but there are just certain things in the film that stop it from becoming a "comedy classic" as it has been labelled by many people.

It is more of a gross-out than a comedy for one thing. Dancing with a girl at a party on her period, the evidence of which is left on your trouser leg, cannot be considered funny at any level. It's just wrong. The funniest set piece of the film comes when Fogle, a geeky kid, gets fake i.d to buy booze for the last party the three protagonists will spend together before going off to college. Instead of using a normal name like many people would, he changes his to "McLovin", neither first or last name, just "McLovin".

Continuing in the mould of "40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up", "Superbad" has an idiosyncratic humour, scripted by and starring Seth Rogen, who also starred in the aforementioned two films. His role as a daft cop, alongside fellow cop played by Bill Hader is a funny double act, but starts to where thin towards the end of the film's nearly 2 hour running time.

This film's i.q is the same as the average shoe size, which is not a bad thing(in small doses, I can't believe I've used the words protagonist and idiosyncratic in my comment on it!), but it jarrs when it begins to take the moral high-ground come the end. It desperately searches for a change from the slapstick, chaotic tone it successfully establishes in the first hour and a half. The final half hour is slow and quite honestly, not that funny.

All in all, "Superbad" is not a superbad film. It's a perfectly fine source of entertainment all be it slightly too self-indulgent and aware of its moral responsibility.

*** out of *****
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