I saw an advanced screening of "Adventureland" on my college campus tonight. It chronicles the coming-of-age tale about James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), who has just graduated from college and is set for a trip to Europe before he goes to grad school at Columbia University. The only problem is that it's the late 1980's, the economy has taken a downslide, and his dad's job got caught up in it--he was transferred to a position that offered less money, and now James's trip to Europe is canceled, as is his monetary support for his continued schooling. This means one unpleasant thing: James must get a summer job. And the only place this comparative lit major can find labor is at a miserable amusement park called Adventureland. But of course he meets and falls in love with a girl (Kristen Stewart), and from there the movie is pretty easy to follow.
I must say, this movie was done quite adequately. There was nothing wrong with it. The acting was good (for the most part). The screenplay rolled along safely with lots of chuckles and a handful of belly laughs. There were pockets of insight sprinkled throughout--especially in dealing with the dead-end of indecision that some lives take after college, and in the economic crisis of the late Reagan era that resonates with what we are going through now.
This is Greg Mottola's next film after his breakout hit "Superbad," and thus audiences are likely to draw comparisons. Already I can tell you the general consensus: "Superbad" this is not. I'll admit that Superbad also had a rather formulaic premise, but something in the execution of that film puts it a few hefty steps ahead of this one. As I said before, there is nothing wrong with "Adventureland." It just doesn't stand out as really all that excellent. It hit all the notes, just not as hard as it could have. The acting, while good, does not have the charisma of the Michael Cera & Jonah Hill duo (though Bill Hader re-teams with Mottola in a consistently funny role as the manager of the park). Nor is the romance completely fresh: despite good actors and realistic portrayals, it seems to fall into some of the old genre favorites--the inevitable fight followed by the inevitable reunion. You know the deal.
But taking it as its own film, "Adventureland" isn't bad at all. It's worth watching, perhaps even in theaters. It's a good date movie, though not one that you'll remember vividly in the years to come. Just have a good time, and this movie will be good for laughs and a bit of the old feel-good familiarity in which we all like to indulge once in a while.
7/10
I must say, this movie was done quite adequately. There was nothing wrong with it. The acting was good (for the most part). The screenplay rolled along safely with lots of chuckles and a handful of belly laughs. There were pockets of insight sprinkled throughout--especially in dealing with the dead-end of indecision that some lives take after college, and in the economic crisis of the late Reagan era that resonates with what we are going through now.
This is Greg Mottola's next film after his breakout hit "Superbad," and thus audiences are likely to draw comparisons. Already I can tell you the general consensus: "Superbad" this is not. I'll admit that Superbad also had a rather formulaic premise, but something in the execution of that film puts it a few hefty steps ahead of this one. As I said before, there is nothing wrong with "Adventureland." It just doesn't stand out as really all that excellent. It hit all the notes, just not as hard as it could have. The acting, while good, does not have the charisma of the Michael Cera & Jonah Hill duo (though Bill Hader re-teams with Mottola in a consistently funny role as the manager of the park). Nor is the romance completely fresh: despite good actors and realistic portrayals, it seems to fall into some of the old genre favorites--the inevitable fight followed by the inevitable reunion. You know the deal.
But taking it as its own film, "Adventureland" isn't bad at all. It's worth watching, perhaps even in theaters. It's a good date movie, though not one that you'll remember vividly in the years to come. Just have a good time, and this movie will be good for laughs and a bit of the old feel-good familiarity in which we all like to indulge once in a while.
7/10