Title: Adventureland
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds
Directed By: Greg Mottola
Running Time: 107 minutes
UK Release Date: 08/02/10
Certificate: 15
Director of Superbad, Greg Mottola's Adventureland is a rather less offensive film than his previous directorial outing. In fact if anything it’s a rather ordinary group of stories from his own life, when he was a kid back in 1987, just before he went to college at NYC. He is ‘James’ (Jesse Eisenberg). Needing money to subsidise his accommodation at college thanks to his Dad being unable to stump up any cash, James sets himself up a job at the local carnival – known as Adventureland.
James has a summer full of adventures and some misadventures including a relationship with sexy, if slightly duplicitous, Emily (Kristen Stewart) who also works at the park, but is also having an on off relationship with Mike the repair man played by Ryan Reynolds – or as he is now known (but possibly not for much longer?) Mr Scarlett Johansson. What you’re reading my review Ryan Reynolds? Ha, ha. Just joking then! Loved you in Blade Trinity!
James is still (shock!) a virgin! But he lucks out and gets to shag Emily as well as going on a date with the hottest girl at Adventureland – Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva). James is very serious but don’t despair there is still plenty of humour and lots of laughs.
Mottola directs with some style and his writing is also decent. It attempts to deliver something slightly different to the average teen-movie and succeeds. Eisenberg and Stewart provide some on screen angst and perform well while being admirably supported by Reynolds and Bill Hader.
All in all this is a thoughtful and well devised film that offers more than most in its genre. It’s not a good as Eisenberg’s other recent film Zombieland, but it is well worth a look and probably better than Stewart’s Twilight films.
