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Superbad isn't just another typical Judd Apatow vehicle - a Knocked Up knock-off, if you will - even though Apatow executive produced it while his longtime collaborator Seth Rogen co-wrote it. And Superbad also isn’t just another run of the mill teen movie, even though there are shades of John Hughes and whats-his-name-the-pie-fucker all over the place. Superbad certainly dabbles in both (as well as heady doses of the awkward humor seen on TV shows like Seinfeld and Arrested Development) but the finished product is something that, while it may feel familiar, is actually somewhat unique in today’s filmmaking climate.

For its style of comedy, Superbad relies on the hilarious situations that our two leading men find themselves in more than their snappy one liners (although there are plenty of those, too). Director Greg Motolla uses long takes and priceless reaction shots (mainly from the reigning king of the reaction shot, Arrested Development's Michael Cera) to emphasize just how funny this entire thing is, rather than just how funny the potty mouthed teens are. Though the events that unfold for our heroes Evan and Seth are quite adventurously unrealistic, there are underlying elements that still make this film feel very real. The emotions and interactions between the two, while certainly on the nose, feel authentic. The deceptively simple direction makes the film feel like an intimate indie film in the best way possible – at its heart, this is something that could be happening right now anywhere in America.

It's really saying something when newly anointed king of comedy Seth Rogen brings the least satisfying performance to the film – but perhaps I just expected too much from the Knocked Up star. The big surprises on this one are SNL cast member Bill Hader (here’s hoping he gets a lot more feature work in the future) and newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who absolutely lives up to his prerelease hype as Fogell/McLovin. He helps make the film immensely quotable, and I find it impossible to believe that the character was all there on the page for him - clearly the lovable nerdo brought something of himself to the role. Jonah Hill does well with his somewhat clichéd role as the foul-mouthed, girl crazy slacker of the team while Cera stands out far more than his sidekick Seth with what is still admittedly only a slight variation on the social awkwardness of his breakout role, George Michael Bluth.

Taken as a complete film, Superbad isn't quite as satisfying as it could be; there’s a lack of a true arc to the story, and the subsequent “some stuff happens” vibe wears a bit thin by the end (the nearly two hour movie probably could have benefited from about 10-20 minutes of cutting). But these are the minor-est of quibbles; there are some truly hilarious bits in here, funnier than most anything that’s hit the screen in who knows how long. Whether its one of Seth's uproarious predicaments, or one of Evan's subtle half mumbled line deliveries (or even just McLovin being McLovin) there are more than a few moments here where you’ll be lucky if you don’t piss yourself from laughing so hard.

Grade: A-

- Jeff Latta