“Superbad” (-)
This is one of the funnier movies I have seen over the years. There is no nudity or sexually explicit scenes, but because of the theme of the film and the obscene language that is constantly used, it is one of the most vulgar films I have ever seen.
The three main characters are teenage boys who are just graduating from high school. Evan (Michael Cera) and Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) have been accepted at Dartmouth. Seth, who is the crudest in his language and most obvious in his sexual obsession, is no Ivy Leaguer. He will go to a state college and, therefore, won’t be joining his friends. The plot revolves around the underage boys seeking to buy liquor for a party. Two other principal characters are the corrupt cops, Officer Michaels (Seth Rogen) and Officer Slater (Bill Hader).
When I left the theater I was asked by a young man what I thought of the picture. I replied, “It is degenerate.”
The film is rated R, a category for which minimum standards are in steady decline. I’m not narrow in my views, certainly not prudish. I enjoy well-done films rated R and NC-17. But I do have standards and a moral code. This is a lewd movie devoted to outrageous sexual language, and the combination of youth and degeneracy is particularly disquieting. I believe many people will be embarrassed beyond belief by the gross language in this flick and that they would not want their adolescent children to see it. Today it is not very difficult for someone under the age of 17 to get in to see an R-rated film, and I believe this one will attract youngsters well below that age.
I also believe the film portrays American students, to both friends and enemies of our country, in a very vile and, hopefully, untrue light. Osama bin Laden could have produced the movie as part of his propaganda to show the decline of American culture. After viewing it our enemies will trumpet that Western Civilization is in steady decline, particularly in California.
I saw “Superbad” two weeks after it opened, and the show was sold out. It may still be number one at the box office, but I would not recommend this movie to anyone.
HS said: “The movie is gross, funny in a half-assed way, and made for a world where teens rule. The boys want to score with the girls, and the girls will co-operate but only when they are drunk enough. So they give the boys the money to buy booze.
Since everyone is well under 21, the boys try to buy liquor with an obviously phony ID. The cops they meet are themselves juvenile in manner, reckless and corrupt. The parents are almost invisible, except for one mother with cleavage. Various characters are run over by cars but always unhurt, like in cartoons. Everybody is young, white and movie-star cute, even the fat boy and the chunky girl. If you want to see almost two hours of this junk, and if four-letter words are music to your ears, pay $11 and go to “Superbad.” Consider yourselves warned — or attracted.”
