In common with the entire Revenge Of The Nerds oeuvre, Superbad, the biggest thing to hit the teen movie since Jason Biggs did unspeakable things to that pie, pivots around two guys trying to Get Some. Out heroes, Seth (Hil) and Evan (Cera) are named for the film’s authors Messrs. Rogen and Goldberg, who knocked together the first draft of the screenplay while still attending high school. And sure enough, the film’s portrayal of social bottom-feeders attempting to score booze and girls couldn’t feel more authentic.
Over the course of one unforgettable evening, our chaps never tire of finding novel ways to humiliate themselves. A disastrous trip to the off-license with their even geekier buddy Fogel (Mintz-Plasse) ends with a ride in a police car. A flirtatious dance with a hot chick leaves Seth with menstrual blood on his trousers. And inevitably, getting totally shit-faced puts an end to their dreams of a blow-job. Vomit, in Superbad, is never very far away.
Now this is more like it. Seth Rogan’s commendably potty-mouthed screenplay avoids all the pitfalls that made Knocked Up such misogynistic drivel. This is a Boy’s Own adventure alright, but between endless rants about cock and pussy, the hilarious gallery of dick drawings and the dazed and confused antics, there lies a genuinely touching depiction of male friendship.
In drunken moments, love is declared in no uncertain terms. Indeed, the most delightful aspect of the entire enterprise is its supergayness. Often it feels like we’re watching a hyper-comedic retooling of No Skin Off My Ass. “Pussy on its own doesn’t do it for me”, declares Seth early in the film. Yeah. We got that.