Review: 'Adventureland' delivers more than expected

"Adventureland" is not nearly as funny as its trailer, and yet, thankfully, it's much better than its trailer.

Walking in I was expecting to see another Judd Apatow-style comedy ("Superbad," "Knocked Up," "The 40 Year Old Virgin") and was taken aback at the film's soft touch and strong story. Greg Mottola, who directed "Superbad," this time directed his own screenplay, which has clearly differentiated himself with the Seth Rogen/Apatow group.

Though the story does center on young people who came of age in the '80s (the Apatow signature), Mottola's style is more in line with Wes Anderson ("The Royal Tenenbaums," "Life Aquatic") and the less restrictive independent style of filmmaking--simple and natural lighting, letting the actors explore character.

"Adventureland" is the coming of age story of James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg). He's just graduated college and is planning a summer trip to Europe with his wealthy friend. Yes, it does seem a bit late for James to be coming of age, but Eisenberg does well at playing an overeducated innocent.

When his alcoholic father is offered a new position within the company, James' family moves to Pittsburgh and James is forced to get a summer job -- not only has he lost his trip to Europe, but he just might lose his chance to go to Columbia graduate school in the fall.

Unable to find any job at all -- he can't really do anything -- he relents and takes a job running arcade games at Adventureland, a sad little Six Flags-style wannabe amusement park.

Of course the park is filled with crazy characters trying to find their own way in the world, and eventually James receives enough hard knocks through the summer that he comes to understand what life might be all about. Of course it's a story told hundreds of times, but "Adventureland" is sweet and well done. It's not too fast or furious; it's simply about the adventure of life.

And for those who read reviews to the end, I just want to say thanks for your time and interest; this is my last review for the Southeast Missourian. I hope I was able to steer you to the good films and away from the bad and, if nothing else, tried to explain why I did so.

I'll leave you with a quote from one of my earlier reviews. I believe it says it all.

The reviewer's dilemma was once discussed in the May 3, 1946, edition of the London Tribune. George Orwell wrote this about his years of reviewing books: "Until one has some kind of professional relationship with books one does not discover how bad the majority of them are. In much more than nine cases out of ten the only objectively truthful criticism would be, 'This book is worthless.'"

As a longtime bookstore general manager I wholeheartedly agree with Orwell, and though he never reviewed films, I'm sure he would agree with me there is no difference in the movie business.

He went on to write in the article that it's hard to pan nine out of 10 books and -- being human -- found he often let writers off the hook and wrote a review that was neither pan nor praise.