More fun than Misadventureland.
Released: 2009
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Romance
Teen dramedies have been coming out for as long as the dinosaurs have been extinct. While calling them "hit-or-miss" would actually be a generous evaluation of the sub-genre as a whole, those that have managed to surpass the typical summer slopfest tend to stick out as instant classics. 2009's "Adventureland" falls just short of achieving status as a timeless title, but still manages to serve up heaps of that bittersweet flavoring we all love to shovel down our gullets.
Set in what many consider to be easily one of the cheesiest eras of all time, this '80s-styled period piece focuses on all the roaring good times and stupefying woes of young adulthood, and does so in delightfully accurate fashion: "Adventureland" doesn't try to sugarcoat its portrayal of what is ultimately an awkward and undeniably bizarre time in every person's life. This in itself is a commendable feat, since it seems that most directors tend to lean heavily on caricatures and bold misrepresentations of what really goes down during this phase of existence. More often than not, these efforts are pretty effing bad, so it's nice to see a movie make an earnest effort at capturing the period's human elements instead of sacrificing them entirely for the sake of exaggerated humor.
While the post-adolescent drama might grate a bit on the more mature palette, this film boasts a cast with some pretty decent acting chops that is more than talented enough to deliver the movie's abundance of witty comedy. Clever - and oftentimes deadpan - dialogue claims the spotlight here rather than loud, boisterous slapstick, making this more "Superbad" than "American Pie"; indeed, "Adventureland" channels a pretty prominent John Hughes vibe, and once you feel its laid-back, mildly-angsty goodness, you'll throw your fist right up into the air while your outro music plays.
It's not perfect - the characters grow annoying at times as they flounder about without direction, the plot stumbles clumsily and lacks the subtly of its humor, and at points, the writing becomes so stale that everything almost grinds to an agonizing halt. However, the charm here is soundly ingrained into the myriad of interpersonal interactions and colorful dialogue, making this one ticket worth buying. By the time "Adventureland" ends, you'll wish the ride hadn't rolled back into the station quite so quickly.
Rating (out of 5): 3.5
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