“Adventureland” is a movie about facing life’s difficulties and unfairness, with a little comedy and truly charming moments to ease the tension. From “Superbad” director Greg Mottola, the story begins with college graduate James Brennan, (Jesse Eisenberg) who is forced to get a summer job at a Pennsylvania amusement park to pay for graduate school.
Through his adventure in “Adventureland,” James, after being rejected from multiple employers, gets hired on the spot to work the game booths instead of the much preferred and “cooler” job on rides. As he struggles to get through each day without being annoyed, bored or killed, James manages to adapt to his environment and meet new friends at the different game booths.
The game booths have a variety of interesting characters, which include a mellow, goofy and geeky guy, Joel (Martin Starr) and a laid-back, bitter and insecure girl, Em (Kristen Stewart). Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig from Saturday Night Live make a great team playing the roles of park managers Bobby and Paulette. Even though they were only supporting characters, their comedic skills were well used throughout the entire film.
With numerous parking lot hang-outs involving a lot of pot and drinks, James begins a relationship with Em, which turns out to be a bit difficult because she is involved with heartthrob and married musician, Mike Connell (Ryan Reynolds). James later finds himself dating the very popular virgin babe of the park, Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva).
Eisenberg’s lead role as James was a big change from his supporting roles in “The Hunting Party” and “The Squid and the Whale,” but none-the-less, he was a great choice for this film. His strange and unique charm made his character easy to relate to. Stewart gave an excellent performance as well, which immediately erases the image of her being the very pale character of Bella in “Twilight.” Reynolds’ more mature male role was also great to see, which gave a nice blend of characters to the movie.
Mottola’s direction and script was well put in this film. Not only does it have a metaphorical meaning to its title, this movie is a must-see movie of the year. The storyline was easy to follow and the plot was relatable. Applying this great script with talented actors, direction and visuals made this great to watch. As a follow-up of 2007’s “Superbad”, “Adventureland” has its own sudden sensation of humor without the constant “sex-capades.” It is not another “Superbad” film as many thought it might be, but truly enough, this movie kept the audience very entertained.
Check out “Adentureland’s” official Web site at www.adventurelandthefilm.com for a synopsis and a character review of the movie. A photo gallery and video clips of the movie are also posted on the Web site.
'Adventureland' a Must See Film
Published: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Updated: Thursday, April 23, 2009
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