Pjtaylor-96-138044 'Adventureland (2009)' is a part of the low-fi indie movement that was originally refreshing but quickly became over-saturated, a slice-of-life drama that tries to reflect reality yet still retain a written narrative. As such, its initial stylings aren't anywhere near as charming as they are perhaps intended to be. The lead character is annoying due to Eisenberg's inherent motor-mouthed arrogance masquerading as shy quirkiness (essentially every role he has ever played) wearing thin faster than it's even presented, the period time-setting is only as relevant as the fact that no mobile phone is ever seen, and there are a number of conveniently unexplained coincidences that hinder the believability of some key developments. Still, the majority of the piece is entertaining and even somewhat endearing, capturing an aimlessness and nostalgia that's, at times, somewhat accurate. It's subtly funny on occasion, too, mostly thanks to Bill Hader who's improvisational moments really shine here. 6/10

Stuart Fisher It's difficult to know how to rate Adventureland. It's a film that's all about the relationships between the characters. The theme park just provides a backdrop and a reason for the characters to all be in the same place at the same time.If you can relate to what the characters are going through, you will love this film. If not, you'll probably find it boring as it is quite slow going. There are moments of humour but the story is primarily about the chaotic lives of all the characters. In my experience, life really is just like that, so I enjoyed it a lot.One negative is that Kristen Wiig is given top billing but she isn't really in it at all. When she is on screen she's given almost nothing to do, which is a waste. On the plus side, when she is on screen, the scene always includes Bill Hader too and he's brilliant in this :-)

punishmentpark 'Adventureland', also in the sense that adolescence may be a romantic, adventurous ride with as many ups as it has downs - as is the case for our protagonist in this movie.In the first part I had a little trouble getting into things, because of Jesse Eisenberg's overly off-beat delivery (and his equally forced clever lines) and the settings, atmosphere and overall look of the film weren't very convincingly '80s-like. But Eisenberg's performance got better and better (and his lines more natural), as did that whole '80s atmosphere - much helped by the steady, and not too fast, developing of the story, with some good humorous bits here and there.There are lots of fun supporting roles by - for instance - Martin Starr, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, and the soundtrack is a sheer endless list of terrific oldies, like 'Breaking the law' (Judas Priest) and 'Don't wanna know if you are lonely' (Hüsker Dü) So, in conclusion, this is not an earth-shattering coming of age flick, but certainly more than fun enough to have seen twice so far. Plus: Kristen Stewart is not the best actress ever, but her natural cuteness is simply undeniable.A big 7 out of 10.

Ben Davis Pretty funny and enjoyable movie in my opinion. If you don't like this movie, I won't argue with you. I can see why some people wouldn't like this movie. I do really like coming of age movies, so maybe that's why I can look past a lot of flaws, but hey. You like what you like and certain movies work for certain people for various reasons. I tend to relate to characters on these types of movies. It's about a guy named James Brennan, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who has to get a summer job in order to save money to either go to college or go to Europe (I can't remember). He ends working at an amusement park and there he meets some new friends. The movie follows what they do throughout the runtime. And for the most part, this works. The movie is funny and at the very least watchable. However, I do feel like there are several parts of this film where the humor is absent for longer than necessary, and it can get slightly boring and overly dramatic at some points. Ultimately, I think the good outweighs the bad however and I say you watch it. Though like I said, I can see why you wouldn't like it.