September 6, 2007

Superbad

2007 / Greg Mottola > Superbad is a lot of fun but, unlike the subtle brilliance that's persisted in previous Mottola/Rogen works, childish jokes make up a bulk of its content. It straddles an awkward middle ground where it's neither intelligent nor stupid, and while that might work for some, I found it hard to position in my list of adolescent comedies. Cera's fine—his work on Arrested Development suits him better, but this is by no means a stretch. There are moments that are nice and cuddly yet not cheesy, which is a pleasant surprise. But ultimately, the storyline fails to stand out—as the "get laid before high school ends" plotline is anything but uncommon—and the afterglow is made less memorable by the fleeting nature of its juvenile jokes.