"Adventureland" It's a Good Teen Classic

Genres: Comedy and Drama
Running Time: 1 hr. 46 min.
Release Date: April 3rd, 2009 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for language, drug use and sexual references.
Distributors: Miramax Films

Directed by: Greg Mottola

JJ Rating: B

James (Jesse Eisenberg) needs money to go to University in the fall because his family was having financial problems. So he gets a job at an amusement park. He falls for Em (Kristen Stewart) who is entangled in her own mess. Humor in the work place as well as James' life makes for an interesting film. Aventureland.

The trailers were funny. The movie was dramatic and funny. The problem I had with this film had more to do with the length. I felt it dragged a bit at times and it didn't keep up with the humor aspect as well as it could have. I liked the story and I thought that it was far less R necessary unlike Fast & Furious, which is PG-13 for popularity reasons. It could have just as well been rated-R. It fondled the line. Adventurland just felt cleaner. Fast & Furious felt stupid and dirty.

Bobby (Bill Hader) and Paulette (Kristen Wiig) were a great couple. Hader and Wiig's acting in this film was icing on the cake. The film was good and they added the need silly-smart humor. It seems silly what they were doing but in reality how they acted was smart. They had to have the right timing and the right movements and looks. They were very enjoyable and loveable. I almost wanted to work for them and I would die if I worked at an amusement park.

Kristen Stewart 's character was hypocritical and she played it well because she was not annoying. There are many characters, in film, who are the same and they just become obnoxious. She was reserved with control and had a brooding, seething thing going on. It was what emo was before there was a term and black make-up to go along with it.

Jesse Eisenberg looks like he could be Andy Samberg's brother. His character was the uncomfortable dork that nothing is going right for and a 'friend' that hits him in the balls for entertainment. He has a twisted charm about him. Other greasy guys could smoke marijuana and the parents would be like oh hell no you're not touching my daughter. But even if they saw Eisenberg smoking while eating special brownies they'd still find him a good choice for their daughter. He's a good actor and could only get better.

The film looked like it was shot in the 80's. Of course the film is set in the 80's but even some films that are set in the 80's don't look like it was actually shot during the 80's. It had that whole 80's ambiance. I really liked that.

I sit here and think about the film and it's hard to decide what it was that totally made me not really like the film. Aside from the length there was really nothing else. I guess it was something to do with the characters. I like the characters but they were all missing something that would make them whole and the story more hard hitting. I wanted to have a just right moment; instead I had a 'this portage is too hot' moment.

I wished this movie topped the box office. I think it is far more deserving that that car movie with horrible characters and atrocious acting. This is a film that people will most likely enjoy. If you are from the 80's you'll enjoy it. They have 80's dancing in it by a hot girl, that's cool, right? Yes, yes it is. Work and play makes this 80's tale worthy to be told. Adventureland is another teen classic for sure.