Adventureland

So I remember seeing previews for this a few months before it came out. A bunch of no name actors and my beloved Kristin Stewart. The fact she was in Twilight pretty much ruins her for me, but if anyone knows a girl that is like her, please introduce her to me. The story is about a well educated guy who graduates from college planning on going on a European backpacking trip before Grad school at Columbia. I had never seen Jesse Eisenberg in a film before, or at least realized it. He was in both The Village and The Education of Charlie Banks.

The movie takes place in the late 1980s at an amusement park. If I were to put the tone of the film into a short sentence, its about a young man's development with his emotions and women. There are some funny scenes, but I wouldn't really classify it as a comedy. Ryan Reynolds has a small role in the film that seems odd to me, but I think the purpose of his character is important. What took me a long time to figure out is James friend, Joel. Turns out that he's the guy from Freaks and Geeks. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

So going back to Ryan Reynold's character. I like him as an actor, I see a lot of his movies, but he's kind of a d-bag in this one. It's tough for me to swallow because this is the same guy that shows his pubes in Blade 3, but it's true. He's a married man sleeping with my future girl (Kristen Stewart) on the side. He even tries to convince James that liking Em (Kristin's character) is a bad idea. But then again, Em's character is pretty screwed up. She hates who she is, she doesn't know what she wants, extremely self-conscious. So pretty much like any girl between the age of 14 and 32. God I love women. They are just a puzzle that you want to solve.

It's clear that James' character is more literature oriented, he's a deep thinker, he's a virgin after college, a romantic at heart. You feel for his character as the movie progresses as he tries to find himself. It seems like his ruined summer at a shitty amusement park actually is helping him get to be who he wants to be.

I was skeptical about the movie from the onset, but as the movie progressed, it turned out to be pretty solid. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. The movie turns out to be pretty true to life. How guys and girls interact and the shit that happens in between. It's not an action film, or a thriller, or really a comedy, so it fits in when you aren't sure what you are in the mood for.

I will say one scene really made it for me. Bill Hader hops out of the office with a bat and starts screaming to a crazed patron, GIVE ME A REASON! GIVE ME A FUCKING REASON! That quote may or may not be engraved on a lighter that my good friend Ari gave me for Christmas.

I give the film 4 out of 5 Manatees. Check it out at your nearest netflix or 1920 N. Vance St.