Superbad

Superbad
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Greg Mottola
Written by	Evan Goldberg Seth Rogen
Produced by	Judd Apatow Evan Goldberg Shauna Robertson Seth Rogen Apatow Productions
Starring	Jonah Hill Michael Cera Chris Mintz-Plasse Bill Hader Seth Rogen
Music by	Lyle Workman
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	August 17, 2007
Running time	Theatrical cut 113 min. Unrated cut 118 min.
Country
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Box office	Domestic $121,463,226 Foreign $48,397,429 Worldwide $169,860,655

Superbad is a 2007 comedy film written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who began writing the script when they were both 13 years old in junior high school. The film's main characters have the same first names as Rogen and Goldberg. The film is directed by former television director Greg Mottola and is produced by Judd Apatow, known for previously directing The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up.

The film was a critical and commercial success, inspiring comparisons to Apatow's previous film, Knocked Up, which was released earlier in the summer.

Plot

Evan (Michael Cera) and Seth (Jonah Hill) are long-time friends in their final year of school before leaving for separate colleges. Perennial misfits, they long for typical teenage desires: girls, parties, and popularity. Seth and Evan’s friend, Fogell, (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has recently acquired a fake ID which the group realize as the key to their dreams. Jules (Emma Stone) asks Seth to bring alcohol to a party she is hosting and he agrees. Meanwhile, Evan hits it off with Becca (Martha MacIsaac), prompting both young men to anticipate a successful summer.

While attempting to purchase the alcohol, Fogell is assaulted by a hooded robber and the police are called. The two officers, Michaels (Seth Rogen) and Slater (Bill Hader), who appear to be fooled by the fake ID, offer Fogell a lift to the party, but make numerous stops first. The officers display many instances of incompetence, including drinking on the job, unnecessary use of police lights, and improper use of a firearm. They quickly become friends, referring to Fogell by his one-word pseudonym, McLovin.

While the police officers are talking to Fogell at the liquor store, Seth is hit by a car and as compensation, the driver (Joe Lo Truglio) agrees to take them to a party, where they reason they can steal the alcohol they need. However, the driver is not welcome at the party and Seth and Evan are forced to leave, but not before smuggling out laundry detergent containers that have been filled with beer.

They get into an argument about their friendship when Fogell, Slater, and Michaels happen to hit Seth with their police cruiser. As officer Slater prepares to bust the teens to cover up his own blunder, the boys flee into the night. The three finally arrive at the Jules's party with the alcohol, not on speaking terms, but heroes none the less.

At the party, a drunken Becca attempts to seduce Evan, but ends up vomiting. A drunken Seth attempts to explain his feelings for Jules, but ends up head-butting her when he passes out on her, resulting in a black eye. Fogell successfully seduces Nicola (Aviva Farber) and gets her into bed, only to have officers Slater and Michaels break up the party. Seth, realizing Evan is passed out on a couch, carries his friend away and they wind up sleeping at Evan’s house. They reconcile, realizing everything they've been through as they're growing up. Officers Slater and Michaels reveal to Fogell that they were aware of his forgery all along, but they wanted to show him they were normal guys too. They pretend to haul him off to jail in front of the entire party so the rest of the kids will think he's cool. In return, Fogell signs an affidavit to a concocted story to explain the condition of the wrecked police car.

The following morning, Evan and Seth run into Becca and Jules at the mall. Seth takes Jules to get cover up for her eye, while Evan takes Becca off to look for a replacement comforter for Jules. The two guys take a long, private look at each other before they part ways with their new friends.

Cast

• Jonah Hill as Seth
• Michael Cera as Evan
• Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fogell
• Bill Hader as Officer Slater
• Seth Rogen as Officer Michaels
• Martha MacIsaac as Becca
• Emma Stone as Jules
• Aviva Farber as Nicola
• Joe Lo Truglio as Francis
• Kevin Corrigan as Mark
• Scottie Gerbacia as Jesse
• Stacy Edwards as Jane, Evan's mother
• David Krumholtz as Benji Austin
• Martin Starr as James Masselin

Reception

According to Box Office Mojo, the film opened at #1 at the U.S. box office, grossing $33,052,411 in its opening weekend in 2,948 theaters with an average of $11,212 per theater. The film stayed at #1 the second week, grossing $18,044,369. As of January 3, 2008, the film has grossed an estimated $121,463,226 domestically, and $48,327,429 overseas, for a total of $169,860,655 worldwide. Compared to the relatively small budget of $20 million, the film was a huge success. The film is the highest domestic grossing high school comedy of all time.

As of October 11, 2007, the film-critics aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes listed 87% positive reviews based on 174 reviews (151 "fresh", 23 "rotten") with the consensus that it was "an authentic take on the awkwardness of the high school experience." It also has an 86% Cream Of The Crop rating. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 76% based on 36 reviews..

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called it 2007's most successful comedy. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 1/2 stars (out of 4) and said "The movie reminded me a little of National Lampoon's Animal House, except that it's more mature, as all movies are." Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times said "Physically, Hill and Cera recall the classic comic duos -- Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Aykroyd and Belushi. But they are contemporary kids, sophisticated and sensitive to nuance"; she added, "I hope it's not damning the movie with the wrong kind of praise to say that for a film so deliriously smutty, Superbad is supercute". Sean Burns of Philadelphia Weekly said "2007: the year Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen saved movie comedy", a reference to Knocked Up which was released in June. Devin Gordon of Newsweek said "As a Revenge of the Nerds redux, Superbad isn't perfect. But it's super close."

Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter, conversely, compared the film to the similar single-day structure of American Graffiti and Dazed and Confused, but that "it doesn't have the smarts or the depths of those ensemble comedies". The Hollywood Reporter review was referenced in the film's DVD audio commentary, particularly the review's suggestion that the two main characters have a homoerotic experience similar to the film Y Tu Mama Tambien. Adam Graham of The Detroit News said, "the cops belong in a bad Police Academy sequel, not this movie", and also that the film "falls short of teen-classic status." Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel called the film "super-derivative", "super-raunchy", and "Freaks and Geeks: Uncensored". Moore went on to say the film shamelessly plagiarizes from movies such as Can't Hardly Wait and American Graffiti. He also said, "Like Knocked Up, this is a comedy they don't know how to end. The energy flags as it overstays its welcome." Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe said the film "has a degree more sophistication than Revenge of the Nerds and American Pie, and less than the underrated House Party". Morris also said, "the few smart observations could have come from an episode of one of [Apatow's] TV shows" and "I wanted to find this as funny as audiences did". Mark Kermode on his BBC Radio 5 Live review show described it as being "adequately reviewed by its own title."

Release

Soundtrack

Main article: Superbad (soundtrack)

Original music for the film was composed by Lyle Workman. A soundtrack to the film was released on August 7, 2007.

Blu-ray Disc and DVD release

The film was released December 4, 2007 on both high-definition Blu-ray Disc and standard DVD in rated (113 min.) and unrated (118 min.) editions, and in an unrated extended Blu-ray Disc two-disc edition with special features including deleted scenes, bloopers, and a Pineapple Express sneak peek. The Blu-ray edition has a feature "SuperMeter" that counts the obscenities while you watch the movie and also includes a special scene during the credits in which Fogell displays a phone number written on cardboard most likely as a producer prank.

Books

Two tie-in books to the film were published by Newmarket Press:

Superbad: The Illustrated Moviebook was published on December 4, 2007 to coincide with the release of the film on DVD. This official companion book includes: an introduction by producer Judd Apatow; the complete script by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg; commentaries by Apatow, Rogen & Goldberg, and journalists from Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and New York; 56 film stills; “Mr. Vagtastic Guide to Buying Porn;” and 24 phallographic drawings by David Goldberg that fans will recognize from the movie’s end credits.

Superbad: The Drawings was published on February 14, 2008. This gift hardcover art book contains 82 phallographic drawings created by David Goldberg (Evan Goldberg’s brother) for the movie.

MPAA rating

Rated R for pervasive crude and sexual content, strong language, drinking, some drug use, and a fantasy/comic violent image - all involving teens.

External links

• Official site
• Official DVD site
• Superbad at IMDb
• Superbad at AllMovie
• Superbad at Box Office Mojo
• Superbad at Rotten Tomatoes
• Superbad at Metacritic