In theaters

SUPERBAD, directed by Greg Mottola, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, 112 minutes, rated R.

If the new Greg Mottola movie, “Superbad,” feels like a new Judd Apatow movie, there’s good reason.

The film was produced by Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”), whose influence runs throughout, from the ongoing punch of bawdy raunch that colors every corner of the production to the unexpected human touches that deepen what could have been just another forgettable romp through the cinematic cesspool.

Apatow’s hook is that he knows that his target audience can relate to the questionable events that unfold in his movies – whether they want to admit it or not. He also respects his audience in that his main characters never are dumb, which is a large part of their appeal. Instead, they’re bright yet awkward, witty yet emotionally stunted – they’re unpolished people trying to make it in a world where polish rules. Unlike, say, many of Adam Sandler’s low comedies, Apatow’s characters are recognizably human, which allows audiences to bond with them even when it seems unreasonable to do so.

In “Superbad,” all of this proves true.

The story hinges on three nebbish high school seniors invited to a party at which they agree to bring the alcohol. All of the alcohol. Though nerdy Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has scored a fake ID, the idea that these three teens offer to get the booze for scores of people proves the colossal mistake of their young lives – and one that takes up the entire movie.

The trouble with the ID is that it states that Fogell is 25 years old and that he apparently has just one name – McLovin. Let’s be clear here. There is nothing about this slight reed of a boy that suggests he’s anywhere near the age of 25, and there certainly is nothing that hints that he ever could earn the name McLovin.

But that’s what the ID says and so, thrown for a loop, lifelong best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) decide to follow through with their promise to get the hooch and thus get everyone loaded.

The idea isn’t just that they will at last be accepted by a student body that has shunned them for years, but that they also might catch the eye of a pretty girl or two. And wouldn’t that be a sweet way to end their senior year? In spite of the film’s startling deluge of dirty dialogue and sight gags, tender notes are struck.

The film is less successful in its addition of screenwriters Seth Rogen (star of Apatow’s “Knocked Up”) and Evan Goldberg as an unlikely couple of wayward cops. Though they have their moments in this movie, none of them are among the best moments and they eventually wear out their welcome.

When you move beyond the film’s thin plot and the raunch, what you have in “Superbad” is a movie about a life-long friendship at a crossroads.

Seth and Evan are two unpopular kids who grew up to become two unpopular individuals. They always promised they would go to the same college together, but Evan recently has been accepted into Dartmouth and he’s going. As for Seth, who favors the occasional display of mock masturbation, he isn’t going to Dartmouth, which causes a rift between the two that leads to a drunken revelation best left for the surprise of the screen.

Grade: B+

On DVD

BLADES OF GLORY, directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, written by Jeff Cox, Craig Cox, Josh Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, 93 minutes, rated PG-13.

The figure skating satire “Blades of Glory” stars Will Ferrell as the alcohol-soaked, oversexed Chazz Michael Michaels, a man whose claim to fame are the flames that shoot out of his hands at the end of each routine (nice touch) and the alleged heat he packs in the bedroom (no comment).

He’s on the downside of his career, but he still has a way with the ladies and especially a way with the blade.

Jon Heder (“Napoleon Dynamite”) is uptight Jimmy MacElroy, the adopted child of a cold billionaire (William Fichtner) who has trained Jimmy from childhood to be a force on the rink. Jimmy achieved that, but to what end? When he and Chazz come to fisticuffs at the title competition that begins the film, Jimmy’s father quickly disowns him when the sport bans Jimmy and Chazz for life.

Now, with each man adrift, they are convinced by Coach (Craig T. Nelson) to become what the scene never has seen – a male couple who enter the pairs competition. Due to a loophole, they’re allowed to do so, but in order to win, they must overcome several obstacles.

First is their enormous animosity toward each other, which is white-hot formidable. Second are the challenges inherent in mastering the Iron Lotus, a dangerous move that, if not performed with absolute precision, is known to decapitate. Third is the evil brother-and-sister skating team of Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler), who see these two as such a threat, they use the charms of their meek sister, Katie (Jenna Fischer), to emotionally kneecap them.

From directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon, “Blades of Glory” is every bit as slight as it sounds, which is a virtue – it strikes just the right absurdist tone throughout.

Some of the laughs are inspired and big, and while you wish the movie was as cruel as you know the figure skating world really is, at least it isn’t afraid of being silly, which is underscored with appearances by Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan, Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming. In a supporting role is Scott Hamilton, who whips himself into his usual excitable froth, but missing is Tonya Harding, who at this point in her boxing career really could have sent “Blades of Glory” soaring over its sea of sequins.

Grade: B+

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s reviews, which appear Mondays, Fridays and weekends in Lifestyle, as well as on bangordailynews.com. He may be reached at Christopher@weekinrewind.com.

The Video-DVD Corner

Renting a video or a DVD? BDN film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases in video stores. Those in bold print are new to video stores this week.

Akeelah and the Bee – B+

Apocalypto – C

Are We Done Yet – D

Babel – A-

Because I Said So – C

Blades of Glory – B+

Blood Diamond – C+

Borat – B+

Breach – B+

Breaking and Entering – C-

Bridge to Terabithia – B+

The Brigitte Bardot Collection – B-

Casino Royale – A

Charlotte’s Web – B+

Children of Men – A

Dawn of the Dead (2004) HD DVD – A-

The Dead Girl – A-

Dead Silence – F

Deja Vu – C+

The Departed – A

The Devil Wears Prada – B+

Disturbia – B

Dreamgirls – B

Eragon – C

Everyone’s Hero – C+

Fail Safe – A-

Flags of Our Fathers – B+

Flushed Away – B+

The Fountain – D

Fracture – C

Ghost Rider – C-

The Good German – C

The Good Shepherd – B-

Half Nelson – A-

Hannibal Rising – C

Happy Feet – A-

Heroes: Season One – A-

The Hills Have Eyes II – D

The History Boys – B+

The Holiday – C+

Hollywoodland – C

House: Season Three – B-

The Illusionist – B+

Infamous – B+

Invincible – B

Jackass Number Two – B

Kinky Boots – B+

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – B+

Last Holiday – B

The Last King of Scotland – B+

Letters from Iwo Jima – B+

Little Children – A-

Little Miss Sunshine – B+

The Lives of Others – A

The Marine – C+

Monster House – B+

Music and Lyrics – B

My Super Ex-Girlfriend – A-

Night at the Museum – C+

Notes on a Scandal – B+

Notting Hill HD DVD – B+

The Number 23 – D

The Painted Veil – B+

Pan’s Labyrinth – A

Perfect Stranger – C-

Premonition – C-

The Prestige – B+

Primeval – D

The Queen – A-

Rocky Balboa – B+

A Scanner Darkly – B+

Serenity: Collector’s Edition – A-

Sherrybaby – B+

Shooter – C+

TMNT – C

300 – C-

Unaccompanied Minors – C

Vacancy – C+

Venus – B+

Zodiac – C