I will get some flak for saying this(if people actually do read this rubbish), but I think Superbad is an aggressively average film, redeemed only by one or two positive aspects. Superbad is problematic because it falls into the trap of being cliche and derivative- its themes deal with parties, with raunchy sex, and with alcohol, which are themes which are so overused and so trite. It has plenty of cringe worthy moments, and is overall, a ridiculous, fantastical film. In how its story is set up and progresses to an unbelievably wild, ludicrous night, it loses a great deal of realism. But it does trade it in with a sprinkling of fun or entertainment, which is a good thing I guess. It's characters are also not very cleverly written- they are stock characters, in that we essentially follow the night of three sex mad, raunchy, but unpopular and desperate boys, one of which is assertive but totally vulgar, and the other is shy and a bit of a nerd. Indeed, perhaps the only redeeming feature of the film is that it is inventive in its comedy. The films humour is very vulgar and very horny, material bordering on Borat territory, which is to say, sometimes very very funny. It also has no problem holding an audiences attention for two hours. But the film shows too much of its nature and its foundations- when stripped down, this film follows a cliche narrative seen countless other times, of boys desperate for a bit of naughty time with the girls, with a tad of wholesome friendship thrown in for artificial depth. It's only novel ideas are in its sharp, crude dialogue. An average film redeemed only by a sprinkling of inventiveness.