Review: Hilarious 'Superbad' rings true of high-school life

Directed by: Greg Mottola

Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Martha MacIsaac, Emma Stone, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Rated: R

If you are easily offended by vulgar language, “Superbad” is not for you.

Vulgarity doesn’t really bother me unless it’s too obviously gratuitous (“Porky’s,” “Americn Pie”) to be ignored.

While the screenplay of “Superbad” is rife with foul language, it’s all done in service to and within the context of the film. Main characters Seth and Evan are high school kids, and this is simply how they speak.

Actor Seth Rogen has had a good run lately. He played one of Steve Carell’s buddies in Judd Apatow’s “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and starred in Apatow’s brilliant comedy, “Knocked Up.” Rogen has a supporting role in “Superbad,” which Apatow produced, but more notable is the fact that he and his friend Evan Goldberg wrote the screenplay for this film when they were 13 years old.

The movie is an amalgam of the stereotypical films in the “coming-of-age” genre, with a good deal of “Portnoy’s Complaint”-style sexual mayhem thrown in. It’s pretty raunchy from the first frame but is too sweet-spirited (vulgarity and all) to be dismissed as a run-of-the-mill teen-exploitation movie.

Rogen, who is 25, was considered too old to play himself in the film, so his role went to another Apatow alumnus, Jonah Hill. Hill is just a year younger than Rogen but is entirely believable as a high school senior. Taking on the role of Seth’s best friend (based on co-writer Goldberg) is Michael Cera, who does a great job of playing the more subdued, but obviously every bit as much confused as his friends, Evan.

The secret weapon, and the film’s namesake, is Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the geeky, final-side-of-the-triangle character named Fogell, or “McLovin.” That’s the name Fogell has printed on his fake ID, claiming he’s 25. That ID is the main characters’ ticket to nirvana and the impetus of the story, which takes place in a scant 24-hour-period near the end of the heroes’ senior year in high school.

It’s a party weekend, and the rather-too-sure-of-himself Seth, the shy/deep Evan and the freaky geek Fogell/McLovin have big plans. There’s a party going on, and the boys (on the strength of the McLovin fake ID) have promised to bring the booze. They also have big plans of hooking up with their respective dream girls.

The entire middle act is taken up with McLovin getting involved with a pair of police officers, one of them played by writer Rogen. It’s a funny segment but lasts a bit too long until the really hilarious payoff kicks in at the big party.

“Superbad” knows its target audience. The high school kids who were at the showing I attended (first show, opening day) were quite vocal in their praise of the film. Ordinarily I would have been annoyed at the talking, whooping and hollering, but that’s what the film is all about.

“Superbad” is at the top of the list of this kind of film, where other notable entries are “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Rock and Roll High School” and even “The Breakfast Club.”

The strong point here is that Rogen and Goldberg wrote the story when they were living this life. It rings true. It’s a hilarious film.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.