When Seth Rogen was 13 years old he began writing a movie with his best friend Evan Goldberg. Naturally, they named this project Superbad. Then they spent approximately half their lives punching up the script and their restless effort really shows. This film is filled with great lines that are really sold by the casual style of the cast lead by Michael Cera which gives the movie a spontaneous, improvised feel.
Cera seems to embody the essence of the movie which takes his fresh-faced innocence and adds vulgar wit. It's truly a marvel when someone can make a film so hilariously raunchy while keeping the core sweet without copping out and getting all cheesy (I'm looking at you, American Pie). It's a delicate balancing act and Superbad pulls it off flawlessly.
It's also a great example of what I'm going to call the "All Night" movie (it's sort of a sub-genre of the Coming of Age film). It's a movie that takes place over a roughly 24-hour period, generally from sunrise to sunrise, where a character or characters begins what seems like a typical day but ends up as a voyage into the unknown of the night. By the time daybreak is upon them they've seen things that challenged their beliefs and they are forever changed by the experience. Great examples of this genre include After Hours, Do the Right Thing, Dazed and Confused, Clerks. and Before Sunrise (yeah, I doubled-up on Linklater. So what?).
Wait, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. Did I mention how funny this movie is? Because it is hilarious (I won't spoil anything for the people who haven't seen it but the best joke is totally not a big deal and affects, like, eight percent of the population). The best part is that the comedy springs forth from the characters naturally. It doesn't feel like set-ups and punch-lines. Most of the laughs come from the characters' organic interactions which makes viewing it feel like you're hanging out with your friends. Or at least, it would if your friends were really good at comedic repartee.
Basically, this movie totally and completely rules.
FunFact: Seth Rogen is very funny.
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