McCarthy on "Superbad"

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"It's a hallmark of Judd Apatow's films thus far, whatever his direct role, that stock situations and characters are endowed with extra dimensions of humanity, weakness and insecurity, " Variety's Todd McCarthy notes in his 8.7 Superbad review. The film "may be more overtly comic than 40 Year-Old Virgin or Knocked Up, but its darkness and thoughtfulness are still notable for a genre so thoroughly dedicated to raucous surfaces and money moments." Still, McCarthy adds, "Fixation on all manner of bodily functions and a plethora of outrageously out-there gags guarantee strong teen and date-night turnout...pic will never die as a high school and frathouse keg-party favorite."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 7, 2007 at 1:15 PM

comment #1

christian says ...

okay we get it. older critics love fart jokes with depth and darkness.

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 1:30 PM

comment #2

arch451 says ...

If there is depth and darkness in this film it doesn't shine through in the trailer. The trailer is horrible.

Posted by arch451 at August 7, 2007 1:32 PM

comment #3

MilkMan says ...

Is there anyway we can have a recount on Funny Jew of the Year and give the award to Robert Smigel? Apatow is a middlebrow sitcom hack who uses dirty words. AND I AM TROLLING FOR A FIGHT. Anyone want to tussle? C'mon, m-f-er's, let's do this. I'll throw the first punch. Here it comes. Oh, it wasn't a punch! I kicked you in the knee!

Posted by MilkMan at August 7, 2007 1:32 PM

comment #4

Larry says ...

Isn't Apatow just plowing in a field already harvested by the Farrelly Brothers and American Pie?

Posted by Larry at August 7, 2007 1:34 PM

comment #5

christian says ...

"Apatow is a middlebrow sitcom hack who uses dirty words."

he said it not me. but i'll back ya up in -- oof!

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 1:38 PM

comment #6

jesse says ...

I'd be shocked if any of you Apatow-bashers had seen Freaks & Geeks or Undeclared -- if you have and still call him a middlebrown sitcom hack, then you deserve to watch the EXTREME!!! shows on FX or whatever the hell people call quality TV.

I love Apatow's movies, too, but the natural mix of characterization and comedy, the rhythms of the dialogue on those two shows, is just impeccable. 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up have a lot of that quality too, but I do think he sometimes fails to realize what a crutch an R rating can be, and how well-served he actually was by the content restrictins of network TV. That said, his general reason for using the R rating -- "life is R-rated" -- is a valid one. And, as I said, I love his film comedies. But if you can watch those shows and still call him hacky or sitcommy then maybe you should just give up on comedy once and for all.

Posted by jesse at August 7, 2007 1:44 PM

comment #7

jesse says ...

Er, middlebrow. Not brown.

Posted by jesse at August 7, 2007 1:45 PM

comment #8

christian says ...

too late. shit reference. freudian slip.

to quote GAME OF DEATH: you lose, carl milller!

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 1:50 PM

comment #9

berkguru says ...

Freaks and Geeks is the best TV show in the last 10 years (other than Sopranos). Just watched all 18 episodes again and it is fantastic.

40yr old virgin is average. Knocked Up is solid. Super Bad looks great.

Posted by berkguru at August 7, 2007 1:55 PM

comment #10

Rothchild says ...

Smigel wrote almost every joke in Chuck and Larry, along with Swardson and Covert. FYI. And anyone that doesn't dig Apatow has no taste or sense of humor. And that's fine, we can't all have everything.

Posted by Rothchild at August 7, 2007 1:57 PM

comment #11

christian says ...

FREAKS AND GEEKS better than LARRY SANDERS or CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM? surely you jest -- oof!

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 1:57 PM

comment #12

MilkMan says ...

Smigel wrote some of the jokes in Chuck and Larry? Oh my God? Not Robert! Please no!

He also created Triumph and TV Funhouse, so everything balances out.

And for those of you who tout Freeks and Geeks (or Arrested Development), seen it, and I'm not fooled by the lack of laugh track into believing that I'm watching something more sophisticated than Soap or Seinfeld.

Oooooohhhhh...Gotcha with a titty twister. Let's see what you got tough guy.

Posted by MilkMan at August 7, 2007 2:03 PM

comment #13

Rothchild says ...

1) Freaks and Geeks
2) The Office (UK)
3) Larry Sanders
4) Curb Your Enthusiasm
5) Undeclared

Soon to be on the list: The Office (US), Extras (season two), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and 30 Rock

Posted by Rothchild at August 7, 2007 2:09 PM

comment #14

christian says ...

AR started funny and then quickly devolved into thinking it was more clever than it was. and that david cross blue man group bullshit...gag.

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 2:09 PM

comment #15

christian says ...

but rothchild, you just deemed me without taste or humor yet i place LARRY SANDERS and CURB in my list too. well ya can't have it -- oof!

come back here!

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 2:11 PM

comment #16

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Best thing Judd was ever involved in? The Ben Stiller Show.

And fuck Freaks & Geeks--oof!

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at August 7, 2007 2:37 PM

comment #17

Sean says ...

Milkman - you're participating in a conversation where you are criticizing other people's taste in television, and the only thing you will own up to liking is 'TV Funhouse'.

You have already lost. At some point, you might hope to catch up to the rest of us (or where we are right now, anyway), and you will look back and realize how you lost, and why.

Posted by Sean at August 7, 2007 3:02 PM

comment #18

corey3rd says ...

The Wire
Deadwood
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Morel Orel
Weeds
CatHouse
Dexter
Sopranos
Oz
Scrubs

Judd plays up to the rubes. All his characters have to sell out to the man in order to get their women. They have to get jobs. Sell their toys. And give into their women's needs.

Posted by corey3rd at August 7, 2007 3:13 PM

comment #19

MilkMan says ...

I always lose, Sean. I'm a loser. That's why I'm sitting at my desk, posting comments on a web site. Maybe one day you'll catch up with me, take your head out of your ass, look back at your ass, realize how your head got there, and then put it back in.

Posted by MilkMan at August 7, 2007 3:20 PM

comment #20

Sean says ...

"All his characters have to sell out to the man in order to get their women."

Um... are you going to concede now that you've never watched 'Freaks and Geeks' or do I have to point out that this does not apply to any single aspect of 'Freaks and Geeks', let alone the show as a whole?

"They have to get jobs. Sell their toys. And give into their women's needs."

Yes, it is generally considered realistic that, in order to be in an adult relationship, a person has to first and foremost act like an adult. Sorry to shatter your worldview.

And two-thirds of your list is objectively worse than 'Freaks and Geeks':

Oz - a decent drama which everybody thinks is deep because of the rape and the violence
Deadwood - people think it's smarter than it is because of the dialogue (but it's good)
CatHouse - does not work on any level
Morel Orel - the comedy equivalent of Michael Bay (nothing worthwhile at all)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force - the comedy equivalent of Brett Ratner (perfectly "meh")

That leaves 'Sopranos', which I never got into but accept as a quality show which I wasn't interested in, 'Weeds', which is a great show that still doesn't live up to 'Freaks and Geeks' [it is better than 'Undeclared'], and 'The Wire', which is the best show television has produced to date.

Of course, the fact that you couldn't even think of a single show in the same genre as 'Freaks and Geeks' says a lot about its quality, but I'll leave that to you to ponder.

Posted by Sean at August 7, 2007 3:20 PM

comment #21

Sean says ...

"Maybe one day you'll catch up with me, take your head out of your ass, look back at your ass, realize how your head got there, and then put it back in."

MM - if you're saying what I think you're saying, please get out of my ass as quickly as possible.

Posted by Sean at August 7, 2007 3:23 PM

comment #22

MilkMan says ...

I don't want to get out of your ass, Sean. It's nice and warm. Plus, there's lost of corn in here.

Posted by MilkMan at August 7, 2007 3:30 PM

comment #23

christian says ...

"Yes, it is generally considered realistic that, in order to be in an adult relationship, a person has to first and foremost act like an adult."

because we all know women who slurp up books like THE SECRET, live vicariously through SEX AND THE CITY, think Dr. Phil knows something and comprise the core audience for daytime TV are fully realized adults...

Posted by christian at August 7, 2007 3:30 PM

comment #24

MilkMan says ...

I don't want to get out of your ass, Sean. It's nice and warm. Plus, there's lots of corn in here.

Posted by MilkMan at August 7, 2007 3:30 PM

comment #25

nycfilmguy28 says ...

I absolutely can't wait to see this. Like some of the posters above, I'm still more enamored with Apatow because of the amazing, touching, hilarious Freaks & Geeks, rather than Knocked Up or 40 Yr-Old Viring (both of which I liked, not loved). But Superbad looks great. Not so much from the trailers, but from some clips I saw online, which really had me laughing. And I would pay to see ANYTHING with Michael Cera, who was one the very best things about Arrested Development!

Posted by nycfilmguy28 at August 7, 2007 3:32 PM

comment #26

MilkMan says ...

Actually, I prefer the "lost of corn" post. And, hey, Sean, did you know that if we were having this conversation the the real world I would be crying all ready because I'm really sensitive and when people say mean things about me I still act like I'm five in that I just want them to be quiet? But actually, if we were having this conversation in the real world it would go something like this:
Me: I didn't like Knocked-Up.
Sean: You didn't? I thought it was funny.
Me: I guess. I mean, there were a couple of funny lines.
Sean: I really like Judd Apatow. I was a big fan of Freaks and Geeks. Did you ever see Freaks and Geeks?
Me: Yeah.
Sean: That was such a good show.
Me: It was okay. There were some funny things in it. I like TV Funhouse.
Sean: 'I'm taking the pipes.'
Me: God I love that turtle.
Sean: Yeah. What other shows do you like?
Me: Oh, I don't know. I just kind of flip and flip.
Sean: Me, too.

Posted by MilkMan at August 7, 2007 3:38 PM

comment #27

corey3rd says ...

Freaks and Geeks was canceled before anything I did see it - mostly that one night when NBC burned all the episodes on one night in the middle of the summer. It was a nice show and it put a couple buddies to work for a while. For the most part I missed many of the episodes because some of have to work for a living instead of sitting in our parents' basement eating cheesedoodles and watching a bunch of dweebs recreate moments we've already lived.

Oz was an amazing drama. Vern Schillinger is the baddest character to ever dominate a show.

Cathouse works on so many levels including destroying the myth that all hookers hate sex.

How dare you compare Brett Ratner - a man whose first sexual experience was being blown by a tranny = to Mastershake.

and I spent the weekend being forced to endure Talledega Night - Uncut and Un.... It was pure dipshit comedy. Why didn't Shake and Bake sponsor the racing team?

Posted by corey3rd at August 7, 2007 3:43 PM

comment #28

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"Oz - a decent drama which everybody thinks is deep because of the rape and the violence
Deadwood - people think it's smarter than it is because of the dialogue (but it's good)
CatHouse - does not work on any level
Morel Orel - the comedy equivalent of Michael Bay (nothing worthwhile at all)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force - the comedy equivalent of Brett Ratner (perfectly "meh")"

Sean - a perfectly "meh" person who everybody thinks is deep because of his rape but actually his brain does not work on any level (nothing worthwhile at all).

You want brilliance? Go watch a Polanski film already. Christ.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at August 7, 2007 4:28 PM

comment #29

K. Bowen says ...

I mildly enjoyed both virgin and knocked up. But I don't get the rush by his fans to crown him Preston Sturges.

The biggest fundamental problem for Apatow is that he doesn't appear to be very good at writing female characters. He can be great at writing those goof-off male characters that he favors. But that whole "layers of depth and humanity" appears to stop at the Y chromasome. We learn little about Katherine Heigl's character, who kind of ebbs and flows with whatever one moment needs. We never really figure out what she wants from the relationship, or why she wants it. Her sister is a little more thought-out, but still kind of the cliche woman-at-the-tail-end-of-youthful-sex-appeal. It helps that Leslie Mann gives a better performance than Heigl.

And for his supporters' claims to depth .... I just dont' see that much.

It's not so much that these are bad films as much as, if this is a great film, it shows how far we've fallen.

Posted by K. Bowen at August 7, 2007 4:29 PM

comment #30

Walter Sobchak says ...

Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Developement, Sopranos, the British version of The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm.... WORST SHOWS EVER!.... and Joss Whedon has NO talent OR imagination...
and.... oh SHIT!.. a pile-on!

My teeth!..... my beautiful teeth!.... ow!... you fuckin' basta-OOOFF!
get off me, bitch!.....I fink you bwoke my fuckin' nose..arrrr

Posted by Walter Sobchak at August 7, 2007 5:05 PM

comment #31

The Winchester says ...

Everyone seems to be forgetting that he doesn't actually really write the movies so much as come up with scenes and let everyone else do the work.

That being said this is one of the most amusing threads on this site in... *Thwack*...OW, my balls!

Posted by The Winchester at August 7, 2007 8:51 PM

comment #32

Arizona Joe says ...

Apatow makes marketable, middle-brow fare that makes boat loads of money. But he is not the sophisticate that Preston Sturges was.

However, he deserves real credit for promoting the career of "Freaks and Geeks'" Linda Cardellini, who is luscious in a cerebral/ courtesanal way. When her gigantic eyes turned into limpid pools, you knew Heath Ledger's character was 100% gay.

Posted by Arizona Joe at August 8, 2007 1:15 AM

comment #33

Ghost072 says ...

If you really want to see the funniest show on TV right now, watch FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia when it returns in September. Like a weird, no-holds-barred amalgamation of Cheers/Taxi/Seinfeld, it is the first sitcom since Curb Your Enthusiasm that actually makes me laugh out loud regularly. Warning: the words "politically" and "correct" do not exist in the universe of this show.

Posted by Ghost072 at August 8, 2007 9:21 AM

comment #34