If only every teen were so understatedly cool, rich in philosophical epigrams, clumsy teen wisdom, perfect lips and complete socio- political awareness, such that they could be elected to both a fashion academy and junior political staffer within ten minutes of existence. These characters are plausible, complex, angst-ridden, curious and frustrated, not to mention either semi-professional pouters with luscious buttocks or revenge of the nerd's candidates who are virgins.As for the plot, it ebbs and flows, straining to be serious and relevant one sequence, and then 80's pop culture parody ripe with obvious references the next.I wanted to like this movie as it had it's charms and moments, but I just couldn't shake the cringe factor running through my muscles like nervous tension every time a cute guy or girl swanned into the frame.This is standard Saturday-night fare if you're lonely and bored, and able to access porn afterward. (Did I just type that?) No, it was Kristen Stewart who's lips are putting all over my keyboard.

This is a decent enough film, with a likable cast. It's got an interesting enough premise, and a good soundtrack.However I think it has been looked at with rose tinted specs by those who proclaim it as a modern day classic, and the sort of film that the late, great John Hughes would've been making today.I mean, it's good, but it's not great. It has too much bad language for my taste, as well as an over reliance on sex for the source of its humour.I think those people need to take the specs off and see it for what it is.

A lot of people are talking about the ads for Adventureland, and while I don't remember many of them in detail, it is true that the ads were a little misleading as to the kind of movie it turned out to be, and that's for the best.I rented this as a "2 for $1" at my local video store, and I was quite surprised with how it was. I was expecting some Eisenberg fast talk and Stuart wooden acting in an R-rated comedy, but it was actually pretty low key slice of life film about a college graduate (Eisenberg) who has to work a crappy job and finds summer romance at said job (Stuart), along with the realistic fun that they get into with their friends and coworkers. It's not a masterpiece of cinema, and the best age to watch this is early-mid 20s (anything younger and they won't get it, and anything older and they will no longer get it), but it's got charm and is really a "this could happen" sort of movie. Plus, it has what is essentially an "all star cast" (even if some were before the big hits or right after they started gaining speed).And if the "R rating" is a turn off, it's a pretty soft R, for language present but not in excess, marijuana alcohol use, and some suggestions at sex. It's kind of in the realm of The Breakfast Club. This isn't "we earned our R rating and we're going to let it be known," it's more of "well to tell the story we wanted we needed some more adult content, just missing the PG-13 mark."

This was okay. I'd been hearing buzz about this movie for ages, I guess its considered some kind of cult classic but I didn't really "get" it. It's a sweet coming of age/summer love movie, following a recent college grad who is forced to take a crappy minimum wage job at the local amusement park after his parents announce they can no longer fund his education or send him to Europe. The plot is simple, there are some humorous moments carried along by good performances from Eisenberg and Stewart and a fun sub-cast. I think my favorite part was probably the nostalgia inducing 80's music, the Pinto that Stewart's character drove. Ryan Reynolds is that bad boy we all remember so well... 8/25/14