Would it be uncreative to say Superbad was Supergood?

So my movie-filled vacation came to an end yesterday, appropriately enough, by seeing the last big film of the summer, Superbad. The film proves once again that anything Judd Apatow touches turns to gold. This is an extremely funny film that puts most high school teen sex comedies to shame.

What has always been so refreshing about Apatow comedies is that they present scenes that seem so relatable to you, even if you have never even remotely experienced the events you see up on the screen. The characters and stories created in these comedies never are those Hollywood fabrications of what reality is supposed to be. Instead, they are cut straight from the ordinary world, only way more funny.

Clearly, the best character of the film is Fogel aka McLovin. His adventures with the cops (played by Seth Rogen and SNL's Bill Hader) produce an endless line of laughs. The kid is clearly a nerd, but his antics are so charming that you can see why people would want to hang out with him.

Also great is Michael Cera as Evan. I was apt to like him given my undying love for Arrested Development, but he was great, even if I was unfamiliar with him. He spouts off one-liners that are so innocuous, yet absolutely hilarious. It's like he always verbalizes his stream of consciousness and frames his inner monologue in a way that always is funny.

My only displeasure of the film comes from the Seth (Jonah Hill) character. I'm still not sure if it was his character or him as an actor that I don't care for, because I thought he was one of the weaker characters in Knocked Up as well. His Tourette's style of delivery can be too much at times and makes the character appear more like a jerk than just being funny. The way he treats his best friend Evan, as well as Jules, the girl he's lusting after, is done in a way that makes you wonder why anyone would want to be around him. He has funny moments, but I typically found myself more enjoying the scenes that didn't involve him.

One interesting feature about this film is the way it plays with time. The film is currently set in modern day, yet it also tries to evoke a feeling of previous decades. For instance, most of the film's music is from the 70s. This effect could have been annoying or confusing, but I think it works to produce a sense of timelessness to the idea of high school boys wanting to get laid.

As I mentioned before, I had some problems with the Seth character. I also found the film kind of spun its wheels in the middle and I found myself wondering why it was taking so long for them to get to penultimate party that marked the climax of the film. However, these complaints can be somewhat nullified given that ultimately this is a damn funny film and that should be the most important criteria when evaluating this film.

There are moments of sheer comedic genius found throughout this film. Like when Evan compares Seth's sex life to Orson Welles' film career. It such an intelligent observation (one that sadly will go over the heads of most of the film's target audience) and yet hilariously appropriate. It's moments like that that make this film stand out from other teen sex comedies.

Even though, I moving further and further away from my high school days, this film doesn't make me feel like I'm out of touch with the current high school generation. Anyone watching this film can understand what these characters are going through and think back to an instance in their lives that somewhat resembles what happens here. If you're looking for two hours of consistent laughing, this film will fit the bill nicely. Superbad's comedic excellence makes me Superexcited to see what comes next from Apatow and the gang. Grade: B+