Superbad (2007)

	Directed by: Greg Mottola	COUNTRY USA GENRE Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE Superbad RUNNING TIME 118 minutes
	Produced by: Judd Apatow Shauna Robertson
	Written by: Seth Rogen Evan Goldberg

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Seth	Jonah Hill	½
Evan	Michael Cera
Fogell	Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Officer Slater	Bill Hader
Officer Michaels	Seth Rogen	½
Becca	Martha MacIsaac
Jules	Emma Stone

Review

Written by Seth Rogen, who wrote The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and modelled after the teenage/sex/alcohol subgenre, Superbad is a step up from the lesser entries in this genre in later years, but nevertheless struggles with stereotypical representations of teen culture. One redeeming element is Michael Cera, whose versatile and authentic appearance functions as a natural and pleasant hub for the more or less pinpointed and funny people and situations we encounter throughout the film. Cera's best buddy, played by Jonah Hill, is the recognisable fat kid (pardon my wording, but I believe it is in line with Superbad's classification) who struggles with girls, but not for lack of effort. Their friendship has warmth and an understated humour, and the film is fine during the first half hour, which focuses on their everyday life and school situation. During this period, Superbad feels like a breath of fresh air and provides surprising, uncorrupted laughs. Unfortunately, it's not going to last, because when the two importunate police officers Slater and Michaels become the focus of attention, Superbad quickly turns tiresome and increasingly irrelevant. The satire is vague, and the characters are excessive and largely unfunny. Towards the end, the film restores some of its integrity, and Cera picks up the pieces in a well-executed finale. His first sexual experience is amusingly and disturbingly elaborate.