Who could have guessed that one of the crudest and most infamously foul-mouthed comedies of the early 2000s could also serve as one of the most relatable and generation-defining stories of our time? Superbad is a fantastic, classic comedy movie that, even only back in 2007, took so many risks that would pay off immensely in the long run. I personally haven't watched this since I was probably 12, but after the release of Booksmart (my favorite film of 2019 so far), I decided it was time to revisit this. I was able to clearly see the comparisons between the two this time around and how Superbad practically laid the foundation for its female-led counterpart more than a decade later. With some subtle and not-so-subtle performances and an unforgettably hysterical script, this film is the perfect combination of coming-of-age themes and raunchy humor - all blending to make this one of the best comedy films of the 21st century.
Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), two childhood best friends on the cusp of graduating high school, have lived their lives with one basic goal in mind: impressing girls and getting laid. When they get invited to their first stereotypical high school party, they are tasked with bringing alcohol in the hopes that they will end up with their respective crushes by the end of the night. Over the course of one night, however, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Despite the laziness of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg naming these two protagonists after themselves (which I'm assuming was purposeful), the writing in this film is incredible. Combining both Rogen's twisted sensibilities with the plot functionality from Goldberg will always lead the way for a fantastic comedy - whether you agree with the raunchy comedy or not. Many audiences in 2007 would find this genre of comedy to be highly offensive and inappropriate to show even to mature adults who have some semblance of "taste," but this kind of comedy is what makes this film so iconic. Walk into any high school hallway or classroom in the past thirty years and I can guarantee you that this is what kids sound like. The dialogue throughout this film might be extremely crass and ill-informed at times, but that is exactly what high schoolers speak like. The unabashed horniness and lack of consequential thinking that runs through these characters' minds are actually what happens to two 17-year old boys at that time in their lives and the authenticity of this film still shines through even today. While some particular words and phrases that are used in Superbad may be a bit dated for today, it was really just a product of the time that this film was made. The comedy written in this film is something that truly anyone can enjoy, as the way that it is written serves the situations Seth and Evan get into so well.
One of the aspects of Superbad that stands out the most to me, however, is how progressive and respectful the film actually is. Although these two characters may start out as a bit more reckless than would be comfortable to see, the way that they develop is what makes their characters so solid. Especially when it comes to the more tender Evan dealing with the brashness of his best friend Seth. Progression in the face of crudeness is one of the greatest themes about this movie that I believe makes it so great. Evan was a much more amicable and understanding character than Seth and despite neither of them really getting what they wanted out of their night, the dynamic between the two makes their relationship so genuine. While other comedies might give their male protagonists exactly what they desire, this film's lack of redemption teaches these characters lessons that they otherwise would not have known they needed.
Boasting many similarities to each other, I have tried my hardest to refrain from comparing Superbad and Booksmart, but they are nearly indistinguishable. Besides the latter having two female leads and more liberal themes, the goals, outcomes, and plots of these films are so similar. While I do have an obvious preference between the two, I absolutely adore and appreciate the foundation that Superbad has built for films such as these. One of the most noticeable elements of this genre is how well these films develop each and every character. Just like in Olivia Wilde's debut from earlier this year, Greg Mottola's original take on this story gives so much screentime to the supporting performances. The script gave plenty of great time and dimensionality to characters from Officers Slater (Bill Hader) and Michaels (Seth Rogen) to Jules (Emma Stone) and Becca (Martha MacIsaac), Seth and Evan's crushes. These kinds of people are vital in telling the story of their world and this is something that far too many films often forget. Coming-of-age films are one thing, but movies like these take the much-needed time to establish the world to place the lead characters into. Films in this genre of comedy are almost period pieces of our modern age - focusing mostly on production design, directorial style, and a large reliance on well-written dialogue. While this was all done memorably well in Superbad, the only issue I had was with Mottola's direction. The ending of this film felt far too long and squeezed out certain gags to their last drop and it made the humor, at times, feel like it was beating a dead horse.
I would like to thank Harkins Theatres for offering the double feature of Superbad and Booksmart because watching these films back to back really shows just how similar and progressive they are. Superbad didn't just launch even further the young careers of actors such as Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, but it also provided us with some of the funniest and most quotable scenes of all time. I'm glad that a dirty film such as this one is still as impactful as it was 12 years ago and I believe that young audiences deserve more movies just like this: not only to shock their parents, but to show how painfully relatable every high schooler is with the weird and often taboo topics they experience.
My Rating: ★★★★
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