MOVIE REVIEW- Supergood: Another winner for talented trio

When American Pie meets American Graffiti, it's Superbad; and it's supergood. Not for Baptist ministers and maiden aunts, but anyone who appreciates raunchy humor served up with wit, including most teenagers who know how to get into R-rated movies.

Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin) just produces this time, leaving the directing to Greg Mottola (The Daytrippers and some great series TV). Seth Rogen is an executive producer, writer, and supporting actor as Jonah Hill and Michael Cera (Arrested Development) move into the leads, and the repertory company expands.

Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera)– named for Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg– are longtime best friends who are about to graduate from high school in two weeks. As in Apatow's other films, their frank dialogue is the best thing about Superbad. They're obsessed with sex, although the introverted Evan is more respectful of females, and they say some of the most stupidly outrageous things you've ever heard. (Who knew there was anything new to say about sex?) You might say the world is their locker room, because they'll have these conversations anywhere.

A lot of things fall into place on this particular Friday. Seth gets partnered with his crush, Jules (Emma Stone), in Home Ec, and she invites him to a party she's having that night while her parents are away. At the same time, Evan Unmighty gets encouragement from Becca (Martha MacIsaac), his dream girl, who's going to be at the party.

To make things perfect, Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who's also out with the in crowd, is getting a fake ID this afternoon, so the guys will be able to purchase beverages for the party. Who knows? Fogell may even have a chance with Nicola (Aviva), the girl he ogles at school.

There's a dark cloud on the horizon. Evan has been accepted at Dartmouth while Seth hasn't, so they'll have to split up at the end of the summer. What's worse, from Seth's point of view, is that Fogell is also going to Dartmouth; so Evan hasn't told him yet.

But now it's party time and time to go booze shopping. Fogell's ID tags him as a 25-year-old Hawaiian with the single name "McLovin." After fate and the screenplay take some strange twists, Seth and Evan are whisked off to a different party, with a more adult crowd, by a creepy guy (Joe Lo Truglio), while McLovin gets to ride along with two Keystoned Kops, Officers Slater (Bill Hader, recently seen in Hot Rod) and Michaels (Seth Rogen).

No one is as funny drunk as they were sober– even if, as in real life, they think they are– so this section of the movie is a little too long with laughs a little less frequent than they were earlier. But there are still classic moments, like one involving a bloodstain; and when Officer Michaels describes having a gun as "like having two c*cks, if one of your c*cks could kill someone."

Like Steve Carell in Virgin and Rogen in Knocked Up, the stars of Superbad are likely to be heard from again. Hill is positioned to be the next Rogen, although they're only a year apart in age. Mintz-Plasse would be the next DJ Qualls. Cera is harder to peg– maybe Ryan Phillippe or Topher Grace with a touch of Jon Heder.

Now three for three, this aggregation of artists with Apatow at their center is a fertile new source of immature comedies for mature audiences. They're bound to stumble eventually, but they're also certain to provide us a lot more good dirty fun.

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