Superbad

Director: Greg Mottola

Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Martha MacIsaac

In one of the funniest films of the year, the AllNighter this term sees Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) battle with the insecurities of their life long friendship, and the inevitability of going their separate ways to university. Along with their mutual friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) they plan to leave High School with a bang after being invited to a graduation party, hosted by the girl of Seth’s dreams, Jules (Emma Stone). In an attempt to go down in history, lose their virginities and settle their differences, the geeky trio endeavour to buy alcohol using Fogell’s fake ID. But when cop cars, road accidents and fist fights land them into trouble, their hopes for romance and acclaim go shooting out the window.

This film is absolutely hilarious and the three protagonists are charming and sweet in a very fun and geeky way, and yet they are completely and utterly hopeless. It’s a film in keeping with the current popular and successful genre of the humorous “disaster” films, such as “Knocked Up”, “40 Year Old Virgin”, “You, Me and Dupree” where circumstances just get more outrageous and more terrible as each scene goes on. The writers and producers certainly know what they’re doing as many have written and/or produced films in this category such as “Knocked Up” and in particular Evan Goldberg co-wrote a handful of episodes on the very popular tv show “Da Ali G Show”.

Hill, Cera and Mintz-Passe have difficult jobs however, in transforming these familiar characters into refreshing and deep characters, yet still maintaining (if not playing around with, which I encourage) the stereotype loser-kid, which sets the film up for its laughs and for its sentiment, which the film cannot do without. Each passes this test with flying colours, keeping fans of the genre happy, while adding a little more profundity to film for the sceptics.

A fun and fearless watch, and certainly not one to sleep through during the AllNighter!

Rachael Pilson-Wood