SUPERBAD...or Knocked Up: The Prequel

12:40am Monday, Aug 20, 2007 | Edit Note | Delete

To call "Superbad" this generation's "American Pie" is to be generous...but there are a LOT of similarities...and that doesn't mean this isn't funny. Superbad is a freakin' riot! I would put it on the same level as Knocked Up but with good reason: it's written by the same guy, Seth Rogan.

As matter of fact, the main character's in both movies (Ben played by Seth Rogan in "Knocked up"; and Seth played by Jonah Hill as a young Seth Rogan in "Superbad") could be the same guy...except one is a juvenile, pot smoking, beer guzzling, sex loving partier...and the other is in Superbad (Hey-oooo!!!).

Seriously, Superbad has scenes that could rival American Pie in hilarity (anything involving McLovin is brilliant), grossness (the er...not so subtle nod to a lady's monthlies), and one scene that steals the show (the thing I'd like to call "The Penis Montage").

However, there's a lot of heart in this movie. Behind all the crassness of being a teen trying to get drunk and laid, this is a buddy movie between two best friends. A sort of Thelma and Louise for teenage guys. Seth (the character) and Evan (his best friend) engage in an adventure to overcome young awkwardness around girls and strive for that holy grail. Do they get there? You've got to watch the movie.

Like in Knocked Up (and American Pie), there are a lot of strong female characters from Evan's crush, Becca, to Seth's target, Jules, as the girl throwing the party. These aren't cookie cutter girls just thrown in for plot. They're both nice rounded characters.

The one character that steals the show is McLovin (real name: Ed Fogel) played by Chris Mintz-Plasse. Every scene he is in is brilliant. He's the modern day Garth Algar thrown into a situation where he has to overcome his shy awkwardness and win the day (aka get booze). He shares most of his scenes with two hilarious and inept cops (played by Seth Rogan and SNL's Bill Hader) who use McLovin to recapture their youth one last time.

Superbad and Knocked Up could be completely interchangeable on the humour level. Both are great funny movies. What would make one funnier than the other is your demographic: if you're still in high school or university or still likes to party, Superbad is funnier. If you're a little older or about to start a family, Knocked Up would be your cup of tea. Still either way, neither one of them should be for kids...and you can't lose with either one.

8.5 McLovins out of 10