‘Adventureland’ is a Poorly Plotted Melodrama
-----Marking the return of ‘Superbad’ Director Greg Mottola, hype steadily built for this supposed comedy about the craziness of working at a theme park in the late 80s. I was excited for this one. It looked entertaining, and the 80s theme looked fun too. Throw in the gorgeous Kristen Stewart and it seemed to be the makings of an excellent comedy. Unfortunately it’s not very good at all.
‘Adventureland’ is the story of one James Brennan in 1987. When his parents tell him they won’t be able to pay for his summer trip to Europe, James is bummed. When they tell him they won’t be able to cover rent at his New York City Grad School, he’s downright horrified. Forced to take a job at the cheap amusement park, “Adventureland,” James is less than enthusiastic. Fortunately for him, there are a number of very attractive female employees, all of which inexplicably take an interest in him. Imagine that.
-----Jesse Eisenberg stars as James Brennan, a character remarkably similar to though agreeably less nerdy than Michael Cera’s turn in ‘Superbad.’ Seriously though, it’s uncanny; his voice and the majority of his line delivery are identical in every way to Cera’s. Fortunately, his character is slightly different and this feat is overcome. Unfortunately, he never develops or sells his relationship with love interest Em’ Lewin, who’s played poorly by Kristen Stewart. While Eisenberg does have difficulty selling his relationship with her, this is primarily her fault. Playing the R-rated counterpart to her character in ‘Twilight,’ Stewart never convinces the audience of her relationship with him in any way. Much of this is due to the script, and the fact that her character is an “emo”-gone-80s. It’s Stewarts’ sad eyes and inability to believably smile that makes her relationship with Eisenberg seem shallow and forced. If your leads in a drama-romance can’t connect, and are seldom seen smiling together or having fun on screen, it’s hard to believe they’d actually want to be with each other. I can recall a single scene where they actually had fun together, and the rest was just awkward and melodramatic. Why would you want to see a movie about that?
-----The charismatic Ryan Reynolds plays the likable mechanic of Adventureland, who secretly has affairs with young employees at the park behind his wife’s back. His character is weird, as you don’t really know how to feel about him. He doesn’t get many laughs as one of the many characters not trying for them, but he does add some much needed veteran skill in the acting department. While his role is forgettable and he’s mostly just a prop piece, he is possibly the most charismatic adulterer I’ve ever seen on the silver screen. The ridiculous Bill Hader steals the show as the hilarious Bobby, manager of Adventureland. He’s about the only character with any truly light or comedic moments in the film, but his small role isn’t enough to save the film. Without him, however, the movie would be that much worse, as he’s able to provide laughs in nearly every scene he’s in. Martin Starr plays James’ work buddy Joel, a pessimistic nerd. He gets some laughs in the first act, but as the film progresses his character becomes a depressing story and the source of some loose ends that don’t get satisfactorily wrapped up. Rounding out the primary cast is Margarita Levieva in one of the film’s better roles. In her few scenes with Eisenberg, she capably develops a more convincing relationship and chemistry with him than Stewart ever does. I was actually hoping to see more of her in the film, as one of the few people not manically depressed in the movie. She does a great job in her bit role, and gives the audience a nice break from the melodrama of Stewart and Eisenberg’s relationship.
-----The film fails due to a terrible plot. Not to mention the completely misguiding advertising campaign. Thankfully I was warned of the fact that the film was hardly a comedy, so my problem is not with that; it should just be noted that people looking for a light comedy should steer clear. The film starts with a fun mood as you begin to see some of the scenes from the trailer casually played out, but about twenty minutes in you begin to wander exactly where it’s going. As the plot starts to take over, so does the melodrama. In a sickening fashion, you see things get from mediocre, to bad, to terrible for pretty much all of the characters involved. Stewart’s character is too depressed and dark for many to relate to, and the events of the film lend primarily to a dutiful two hours that depress more than they entertain. Throw in an out of place and uncalled for one-minute political statement and ‘Adventureland’ loses itself in its own storytelling. It’s as if Mottola, who also wrote the film, was undergoing bad times that got worse as he wrote this story that quickly shifts from light comedy to a dark melodrama. By the third act, all is lost, the ending but a token put in merely for the sake of the audience. And by this point it’s so unconvincing you don’t buy any of it.
-----Despite the poor direction, poor acting work from the leads, and the numerous other problems the film experiences, there is some good technical work. The cinematography is intriguing, relying heavily on close-ups, and the set design is excellent as we see this cheap 80s theme park brought to life. The true success however, comes from the costume department, which brilliantly uses the distinct 80s look to its advantage. Each character is decked out in authentic looking wear that really helps the film’s mood. Speaking of mood, the musical score is also composed of 80s tracks that inspire the time period.
-----The film’s tagline is, “It was the worst job they ever imagined…and the best time of their lives.” It would have been more accurate to say, “It was the worst job they ever imagined…and the summer that ruined their lives.” A film marketed highly to teens will only disappoint those looking for a good time, and the 80s references the film is so proud of won’t hold up with them either, seeing as they were born in the nineties! As for older audiences, why would they really want to go back to the eighties when the story they’re wrapped around is so poor? If you’re looking for a little 80s nostalgia, why not throw in superheroes? I’m talking about this year’s ‘Watchmen,’ an example of a film that succeeds technically and in its storytelling. While ‘Adventureland’ offers the occasional laugh thanks to a supporting cast superior to its leads, it has little else to offer in the entertainment department. Ultimately, the movie is too dark, slow, and poorly scripted to be worth a viewing at all, despite its inspired moments. As the characters in the film would agree, ‘Adventureland’ is not somewhere you want to go.
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