Film Reviews

Superbad

• Rating:
• Director: Gregg Mottola
• Starring: Christopher Mintz-Plasse
• Details: US / 114mins (16).

Best friends Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) would love to be invited to the pre-graduation house party hosted by high school honeys Becca and Jules, but can't find an 'in'. When best friend Fogell (Mintz-Plasse) produces his new fake I.D, on which he calls himself McLovin ("What are you, an Irish R 'n B singer?"), Seth and Evan tell the girls that they can buy alcohol for the party. However, nothing goes according to plan: McLovin is picked up two party-loving cops (Rogan and Bill Hader) and every attempt the boys make at acquiring booze comes up short. Anyone who watches The Premiership on Saturday nights will be familiar with Johnny Giles's 'honesty of effort' mantra, and that's what Superbad has in spades. Scripted by Rogan (Knocked Up), Superbad tries to make you laugh with every line and for the most part achieves it. It might sound like another gross-out boys comedy – and in fairness, there are elements of American Pie running through it - but Superbad is smarter and is more like Dazed And Confused; set during one day, the 'plot' has that meandering, free-flowing approach that Linklater explored in his comedy. It might take a while to get going as the first fifteen minutes feels like it was written by a horny 13-year-old boy and you'd be forgiven for thinking that this is just another immature comedy that relies on fart jokes, abuse of mothers and profanity to get the laughs, but once Superbad builds up a head of steam, the jokes come faster and faster and get better and better. It also really wants to say something about male friendship, and the movie, especially in the last twenty minutes, has a lot of heart. It veers from the usual set-up too, as Seth and Evan, although uncool, are certainly no nerds, while jocks and bitchy cheerleaders are nowhere in sight. Arguably the funniest movie released this year.

Review by Gavin Burke