Why Is Superbad Rated R? What Parents Should Know Before Letting Their Kids Watch
Sex comedies are a tradition that date all the way back to cinematic classics like "The Graduate" and "Some Like It Hot." However, the subgenre has gone through many different iterations over the decades, from the outright crudeness of "There's Something About Mary" and "American Pie" to more modern, gender-swapped takes like "Bridesmaids" and "Booksmart."
However, one of the absolute juggernauts of sex comedy is unquestionably "Superbad." Written by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen and produced by Judd Apatow, the film has all of the hallmarks of the genre while also boasting hilarious, whip-smart dialogue and a cast peppered with comedy legends.
If you happen to be a parent, however, movies like "Superbad" come with their own unique set of challenges. If your kids are teenagers, they have likely heard lewd talk and witnessed high school parties already, but it's hard to know how far these types of movies will go in their minds if you haven't sat down with them yourself. Rest assured in this case, though, that this movie contains plenty of both.
Superbad is a deliberately lewd and raunchy movie
It seems like a pretty fair assessment that you probably don't want your kids watching this one unless they are, at the very least, teens themselves. "Superbad" is the kind of movie that goes over the top in just about every instance for its own sake. While this makes for a hilarious viewing experience, it can definitely be wildly inappropriate for viewers of a certain age.
While a couple of bursts of graphic violence are played mostly for laughs, "Superbad" is mostly questionable viewing based on its dialogue. If you've seen "South Park" or "Beavis and Butt-Head," you'll already have a pretty good idea of what to expect here, only in live-action.
Since "Superbad" is about trying to get the most out of high school parties as its protagonists face the looming prospect of adulthood, the movie uses teen horniness as basically its second language. Characters talk about sex on the regular, and there are plenty of references to bodily fluids as well as the occasional bit of outright nudity.
Still, based on the charisma of its likable cast and its ultimately hopeful writing, "Superbad" emerges as a movie that will have your kids receiving a few positive messages even as they laugh themselves into oblivion. Either way, you'll likely want them to be at least 13 or 14 before they sit down with this one.