We all love the 80s, right? Even if you were not born in the infamous decade, unlike myself, you can not help but appreciate the massive contribution made to pop culture for the past 20 years. The toys, the music, the clothes and, of course, the movies. Off the back of his break out smash hit comedy, Superbad, Greg Mottola opts for a slightly more intimate and subtle story as his follow up, set in that very decade. Based on the director's own experiences, it charts the tribulations of a young graduate, as he spends the Summer, working in a mundane, crappy job in order to attain the money that will carry him towards his dream. We've all been there (hell I'm still there). In this instance, the film's "likeable loser" of the piece is played by Jesse Eisenberg, in his first leading role, working in a run down amusement park known as Adventureland.
Going into the film, under the impression that this would be an 80s version of Superbad (which I, admittedly, was not a fan of), featuring all the dick, fart, weed and sex puns that has populated mainstream American comedies for sometime now, it was actually surprising to see a film with a lot of heart and genuine warmth. Arguably similar in context to Funny People released last month in that it had a genuinely interesting story, but lacked a constant stream of side splitting humour. However unlike Funny People, it did not need to be. It is perhaps fitting in the light of the tragic loss of one of the 80s most iconic teen film directors, John Hughes, that in this film we can see a worthy tribute. Obviously not Mottola's intention considering the film was made before Hughes' death but the influences are rife from beginning to end, from the way it was filmed, to the contrasting stereotypical teenage personalities amongst the characters, the unexpectedly dark undertones and of course the memorable soundtrack featuring the likes of The Cure, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, The Velvet Underground, to name but a few. All was missing was the token montage...
The performances themselves made for very enjoyable viewing, with Eisenberg genuinely shining in his first leading role, as well as the support performances of Bill Hader, Martin Starr and Matt Bush providing the few laughs. The only annoyance was Kirsten Stewart's contribution, and once again it seemingly sums up the feelings I have for her as an actress overall, capable though she is, any time she appears in a scene she has this bizarre on screen presence and ability to bring the mood down massively, which may work fine when she is getting cosy with Robert Patterson on the Twilight series, but for this rather upbeat, coming of age, comedy drama it just does not quite fit. The positives of Stewart's contribution was during the more intimate moments of the film, where her chemistry with Essienberg felt warm, real and natural, unlike the awkward strained scenes she is given with her other "love interest" of the story, Ryan Reynolds (who was surprisingly dislikeable for the first time ever in the history of his career). As unprofessional as this might sound, my criticisms of the film are not necessarily clear cut, but compared to more superior films that were actually released during the 80s, Adventureland just is not in the same class as your Ferris Bueller's or Breakfast Clubs, lacking any truly memorable moments that will stand the test of time.
Final Thoughts
A comedy-drama in its purest form, with more emphasis on the drama. Mottola shows that, as well as, no doubt making a career of Apatow like comedies, that he can deliver a film with heart and an array of characters with depth. Stewart will go on to make more high profile films than this, however this production no doubt belongs to the performance of Eisenberg, who might just be a star in the making following in the footsteps of actors of similar build and mould such as Michael Cera and Paul Dano. Though based in the 80s, Adventureland, is somewhat multi-generational, harking back to the simpler times where we all had those dead end jobs, as a means to an end, but it also reminds us that with the right people, those jobs can be the greatest and most memorable you will ever have.
7/10
See this if you liked...
Superbad, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pretty In Pink, American Pie etc etc...
Adventureland is in cinemas everywhere from Friday September 11th...or at least one would hope...
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