With multiple storylines, a funky theme song, and animated credits, Superbad would have made a good TV show. Imagine Freaks and Geeks with South Park crudeness. Writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have given their alter-egos complicated personalities that could provide material for several stories. Every week, I could see them navigating the school halls in search of coolness while avoiding getting beaten up. The movie is like the series finale following its beloved characters on one last adventure before syndication. As Seth and Evan are sad to see each other go, so am I.

Superbad follows longtime friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) as high school graduation nears. After summer, they’re going to different colleges. Disappointment hangs over the two. Among their regrets is not asking their respective crushes out. When Seth’s love, Jules (Emma Stone), invites them to her grad party, they see a chance to redeem themselves. All they need to do is secure the alcohol. Unfortunately that rests on the brittle shoulders of their friend Fogel. He has the fake I.D. The problem is that he named himself “McLovin.” Will sounding like the hippie Bono work? Somehow they need to find booze or look like complete losers.

Judd Apatow veteran Greg Mottola directs Superbad. But this film sticks to realistic characters and situations that make Apatow’s style appealing. We don’t get one-trick weirdos like Napoleon Dynamite. Instead, we get characters who are a mix of different traits. Sex is Seth’s entire vocabulary. Every waking moment, he is a motor-mouth of obscenities. Like Eric Cartman from TV’s South Park, he spites other kids to feel superior. Unlike Cartman, he’s more caring than he’d like to admit.

Best friend Evan is Seth’s polar opposite. He’s so shy that when his dream girl, Becca (Martha MacIsaac), talks to him, he drones on about having a fantasy weekend way more exciting than partying. Other movies would restrict Evan to being the hopeless romantic. “Here’s to respecting women,” says Evan, toasting a crowd of horny, boozed up girls. No matter how hard he puts on his nice guy act, he’s a lustful teen. While talking to her in the halls he tries to playfully punch her in the shoulder, but — oops! — hits her chest instead.

These kids make the picture. They get along so well. Their anxieties send them running into and sometimes away from embarrassing situations. Fake I.D scene is funny because they’re all afraid of screwing up their big moment. For entertainment value, Seth Rogen and Bill Hader’s Keystone Kops, are pretty funny. These sad excuses for law enforcement spend Friday nights hanging out like teenagers. Their conversations are laced with the same pop culture references and stoner antics as in Knocked Up. The problem is they never have any reason to be in the plot. Still, seeing Bill Hader as a cop dancing to "F--- the Police" by Ice T is hilarious. The ending was slightly disappointing. It was a little melodramatic considering the perversity we’ve seen.

Superbad represents all those kids you grew up with who were acutely aware they were losing the High School Game. That yearning for a memorable event at least once before the end of high school is important for teens. In this movie, the yearning seems more important than the party which almost became a failure for the boys. For Seth and Evan, the big event was recognizing their long friendship.