Adventureland

Pros: Good cast, some funny moments.
Cons: Becomes a little too dramatic in the second half.

I had an epiphany on the drive home from this week's screening of Adventureland: I don't like movie trailers. I'd never really thought about it until recently, but I think this is something that's been simmering under the surface of my calm critic ...

Pros: Funny, intermediately touching story of growing up, interesting '80s comedy design
Cons: The leads are iffy, and the film is very familiar in a lot of ways

One of the first thoughts you might have when starting to watch Adventureland, if you're anything like me, is ‘Why is this movie set in 1987?'  There's no ostensible reason for this.  Amusement parks still exist.  Kids still ...

Pros: funny, with a sweet story
Cons: not as many jokes as some would like

Here's a game you can play when you've got nothing better to do.  Go to Box Office Mojo and look at films from twenty years ago.  Then imagine what each would be like if someone remade it today.  But go ahead and cross off ...

Pros: Some interesting acting, unique theme park setting.
Cons: Features unlikeable people doing stupid things slowly.

Adventureland is a dramatic, slightly funny coming-of-age film totally mismarketed as a Superbad-style comedy.  While I consider the movie generally worth seeing for its nostalgic feeling and a handful of fascinating characters, I left ...

Pros: Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and its unconventional tone
Cons: a tension between its dramatic and comedic ideas, Tengo's score

     While Adventureland is set in the 80s, there is a timeless quality to Greg Mottola's picture. Whether the film is exploring the fragmentation of the middle class, emphasizing ...

Pros: Good cast and premise.
Cons: Ending was a bit to open for me.

The summer of 1987 holds some special memories for me as that was the year that I graduated from high school and set about my college studies. In the summer before the start of classes, I had to learn to manage finances, become independent as much as I ...

Pros: Jesse Eisenberg and Kristin Stewart; A very honest movie about growing up.
Cons: Unfortunately it's not for everyone; misleading marketing

Watching Adventureland is like revisiting the time when we were all growing up and wondering what was going to happen to us. But it's also about a time when we were all really scared about that and all we could do was watch the day unfold in front ...

Pros: Memorable cast whose closing credits are nicely done. Realistic depiction of the setting.
Cons: Repetitive silly comic relief that eventually gets old.

A young man's after-graduation plans collide with his old man's unplanned layoff, so he has to take a summer job to prepare for grad school. His extracurricular activities aren't the experience to impress his prospective employers except for an amusement ...