Superbad (Frank's take)
01/10/2007 . Source: Frank Ochieng 
There are a lot of things in this complex world that cannot be easily dismissed, muses Frank, such as taxes, cheating spouses, high mortgage payments and yes...the ubiquitous presence of the American Pie-style high school romp. Buy Superbad in the USA - or Buy Superbad in the UK  Sure, once you've seen naughty high schoolers pine for booze and babes you have pretty much seen it all before.
However, in director Greg Mattola's subversively spry Superbad one will come away with a strange sense of raunchy resonance that hasn't been quite felt before in aimless fratboy flatulent farces. Somehow there's a hidden sweetness behind the devilish antics of hormonal pals trying to cop a feel as their uncertain futures await them precariously.
Superbad obviously benefits from the dozens of badboy blueprint teen romps that have graced our paths before. From inspired oldies such as American Graffiti to contemporary crude favorites as the American Pie movies series Superbad basks in its callous consciousness while surprisingly maintaining a poignancy and truthfulness about adolescent stagnation. Mattola's skilful knack for parlaying this cute but corrosive tale of rambunctious ribaldry is riotous but also peculiar in its bid for a heartfelt punch to the funnybone.
The impish appeal to Superbad is arbitrarily staged through random shenanigans that follows the adage of the "domino effect"-one falling piece after another until you have total chaos at your feet. This is a delightfully warped and winking look at the unpredictability of tedious teenaged tendencies gone completely awry.
Granted that Superbad is an acquired taste. Consequently, some will find the slapstick brutally broad particularly where the vulgarity serves as the film's running gag. Still, there's something to be said for the intricacies of teen priorities that include fake IDs, unsnapping a stubborn bra and getting loaded until you're numb in the knees.
The various antics demonstrated in this wacky vehicle are far-fetched but the key to the madness is the way that Mattola orchestrates this insanity as an unstable invitation for our heroes to approach impending responsibilities with noted apprehension. Superbad is almost about lifelong anxieties as much as it is about the everyday woes of youthful ambivalence.
At the center of the storm are the film's partners-in-crime Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and TV's "Arrested Development" star Michael Cera) along with their nerdy hanger-on pal Fogell (a.k.a. "McLovin" courtesy of a bogus ID card) played by newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Seth is the paunchy underachiever that has no clear ambition beyond trying to get laid. Evan, on the other hand, is bright and is headed to a good college after graduation-much to the chagrin of the scorned Seth. As for Fogell, well let's just say that he gets lost in the shuffle more often than misplaced luggage at a busy airport.
Before they split and go their separate ways, Seth wants Evan to loosen up as they hope to score with a pair of curvaceous classmates (Martha MacIsaac and Emma Stone). Of course this means impressing the chicks by trying to illegally obtain alcohol so that they can bring life to the big bash and endear themselves to the ladies.
Unfortunately for the guys when it rains, it pours. See how the hapless Fogell gets caught up a liquor store robbery that stalls Seth and Evan's plans to "party hearty" with their desired gals. See Seth and Evan at the mercy of an adult drug-induced gathering as they attempt to snatch that function's abundance of beverages. See Fogell whisked away by a couple of carousing kooky cops (played by Saturday Night Live's Bill Hader and co-screenwriter Seth Rogan) as they look to adopt the assaulted dork as their "travel companion" during their animated nighttime shift.
Naturally, the film's off-kilter static is balanced by the so-called softer moments such as Seth hysterically confronting Evan about his lucky circumstances pertaining to his continued matriculation. Also, the boys find themselves getting closer to their respective crushes after enduring such conflict to get to that crucial point.
Despite the potential raid (you guessed it-Fogell's clownish cops are involved) at a house where the boys don't belong, the hulking Seth carries his drowsy buddy Evan to safety after they got through bickering earlier. During the sleepover scene in Evan's basement the best friends awkwardly confess how much they love one another. In the meanwhile, the brainy bumpkin Fogell/McLovin finds sordid inspiration as he breaks out of his dweebish shell and chills with the destructive badge-carrying boneheads.
Overall, Superbad is a knee-slapper in terms of its irreverent spunk. Granted that the film is uneven at times (for instance, too many claustrophobic household party scenes that ruin the flow of the nonsensical action) but for the most part the chuckles build up when the situational silliness pounces with noted aplomb. As the beleaguered bandleaders for this offbeat fable, Cera and Hill are beautifully suitable as the mischievous pair wanting to indulge their restlessness one more time before they part down different avenues. As for Mintz-Plasse, his Fogell characterization is brimming as the ultimate cult figure "McLovin"-probably the greatest geek to peak since television's Steve Urkel.
One will easily part with their brain cells when viewing the outlandish Superbad. If you're in the mood for guilty pleasure laughs intermingled with poisonous sophomoric charm then let this tainted slacker-induced session teach you the finer things in entertaining debauchery. Now where can you go wrong when trusting the instincts of the creators that brought us "The 40-Year Old Virgin", right?
Frank Ochieng
© Frank Ochieng 2007 |
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