Mean Girls, Orange County, Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Accepted, Charlie Bartlett, Superbad, Sexdrive, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Juno. The “teen” comedy has had a revival in the 2000 era since their grave next to hair bands of the 80’s. Substance abusive, nerdy, sexually active, indie college/high school students have recently lit up the silver screen. The latest offering is Adventureland, a movie involving substance abuse, nerds, sex, and indie college students.
Adventureland revolves around a college grad, James (Jesse Eisenberg), who due to money complications is no longer going to be able to go to Europe during the summer, and instead has to go spend the summer with his parents and ends up getting a job at, you guessed it, Adventureland. Working at the rundown amusement park, James meets the usual cast of characters, the geeky friend, the cool emo girl who is beautiful but unappreciated, the hot girl, and the mysterious good looking man. It’s a try and true formula which works well and it works fine here too. James falls in love with Em (Kristen Stewart) and of course screws up along the way which leads to the usual course of drama.
Nothing here is new. It’s all recycled material from recent films but the idea is something I’m still fond of for some reason. The backdrop is the late 80’s which gives a bit of a spin on this renewed genre but also gives it a bit of a throwback to Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and other 80’s films.
One thing that Adventureland has put to good use (something that a lot of movies have now done) is the soundtrack. The 80’s almost indie vibe of the songs is something that works to its credit. These movies owe a lot to Juno, a movie that has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Here songs like Modern Love by David Bowie, Just Like Heaven by The Cure, and Your Love by the Outfield, are all put to great use. Even if you don’t plan on seeing the movie, iTunes the soundtrack, it’s a good throwback.
But the biggest issue the movie has is the fact that it is unoriginal. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. And while it has some laugh out loud moments (Bill Hader chasing someone with a baseball bat would have to be one of the funniest things caught on screen all year), watching someone get hit in the genitals repeatedly wears thin.
Just to address this fun fact, Jesee Eisenberg also happens to look, sound, deliver lines like, and act EXACTLY like Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno). They are practically the same person. They’re mildly sarcastic with goofy curly brown hair, lengthy and skinny guys who are always playing sensitive misunderstood characters. The EXACT same.
Adventureland revolves around a college grad, James (Jesse Eisenberg), who due to money complications is no longer going to be able to go to Europe during the summer, and instead has to go spend the summer with his parents and ends up getting a job at, you guessed it, Adventureland. Working at the rundown amusement park, James meets the usual cast of characters, the geeky friend, the cool emo girl who is beautiful but unappreciated, the hot girl, and the mysterious good looking man. It’s a try and true formula which works well and it works fine here too. James falls in love with Em (Kristen Stewart) and of course screws up along the way which leads to the usual course of drama.
Nothing here is new. It’s all recycled material from recent films but the idea is something I’m still fond of for some reason. The backdrop is the late 80’s which gives a bit of a spin on this renewed genre but also gives it a bit of a throwback to Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and other 80’s films.
One thing that Adventureland has put to good use (something that a lot of movies have now done) is the soundtrack. The 80’s almost indie vibe of the songs is something that works to its credit. These movies owe a lot to Juno, a movie that has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Here songs like Modern Love by David Bowie, Just Like Heaven by The Cure, and Your Love by the Outfield, are all put to great use. Even if you don’t plan on seeing the movie, iTunes the soundtrack, it’s a good throwback.
But the biggest issue the movie has is the fact that it is unoriginal. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. And while it has some laugh out loud moments (Bill Hader chasing someone with a baseball bat would have to be one of the funniest things caught on screen all year), watching someone get hit in the genitals repeatedly wears thin.
Just to address this fun fact, Jesee Eisenberg also happens to look, sound, deliver lines like, and act EXACTLY like Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno). They are practically the same person. They’re mildly sarcastic with goofy curly brown hair, lengthy and skinny guys who are always playing sensitive misunderstood characters. The EXACT same.
Adventureland is by no means a waste of time. It’s witty in the right areas, touching in the right areas, and has all the teen angst one could want from such a film. In the lull of spring films Adventureland is certainly worth your price of admission. Grade – A-
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