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SUPERBAD The kids are alright in Superbad; it's the adults who prove to be a drag. Coming from some of the same talents involved with The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, this can't match the impact of its predecessors, despite its best intentions to (slightly) set itself apart in the "teen sex comedy" genre. The movie begins promisingly, as longtime best friends Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, both perfectly cast) hope to end their high school stint attending cool parties and dating hot girls. With their ultra-geeky pal Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) along for the ride, the boys hope to score some alcohol to bring to a major bash. Using Fogell's fake ID (on which he's identified as a 25-year-old simply named McLovin), they set out across town on their holy quest, a mission that turns sour after a robbery spoils their plans and separates Fogell from his pals. Potty-mouthed but true to its milieu, this hums along until two cops (played by co-writer Seth Rogen and Saturday Night Live's Bill Hader) come along to spoil the fun. Tiresome characters, they steer the picture away from its mother lode of comic material, and rather than disappear after making their mark, the pair hang around for the remainder of the film. Superbad gets back on track in the late innings, and it's here that the movie's true theme -- the fierce and touching bond that can establish itself between two boys suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous high school shenanigans -- becomes most pronounced. So whenever it centers on its teenage characters, Superbad is a likable coming-of-age comedy; whenever it focuses on the tedious antics of the cops, it turns into a bad SNL skit.  **1/2

OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7:

THE BROTHERS SOLOMON: Will Arnett, Will Forte.

NO END IN SIGHT: Documentary.

SHOOT'EM UP: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti.

3:10 TO YUMA: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale.