Adventureland (Blu-ray)

Filed Under: Blu-ray, Reviews | Article Tags : Blu-ray review

By: Denis Blot

Blu-ray Features Video: 1.85:1 1080P Audio: DTS HD 5.1,  French Dolby Digital 5.1 Exclusive To Blu-ray: - Frigo’s Taps - Lisa P’s Guide To Stlye - Welcome To Adventureland Deleted Scenes Just My Life: The Making Of Adventureland Feature Commentary With Writer/Director Greg Mottola And Actor Jesse Eisenberg Picture Music Selection Digital Copy Of Film Theatrical release: 4/03/2009 DVD released on 8/25/2009 by Miramax Running time of 107 minutes Starring: Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, Jesse Eisenberg Director: Greg Mottola Plot: When James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg) has to cancel his dream summer vacation and make some money for grad school, the only job he can get is at Adventureland, a tacky amusement part where the games are rigged and the rides make you hurt. But it’s where he meets Em (Kristen Stewart, Twilight) and his rollercoaster ride to nowhere turns into the best summer ever.

Having a focus on characters and story, director Greg Mottola does an excellent job of allowing Adventureland to be nostalgic without being cliché. The story set in the late 1980s could easily have become Superbad 2 using outrageously comedic moments tied to Rubik’s cubes, boom boxes, yuppies, and neon spandex. Instead Mottola chose to recount the loosely autobiographical coming of age tale by striking a balance between romance, comedy, and doses of drama. The result is a mature work which will undoubtedly resonate with a post collegiate crowd. It is true that you will find references to the 1980s in the TV broadcasts, fashion, and music that appear in the film however they are never pushed to the foreground to obtain cheap laughs. It is the characters’ situation of being college educated yet stuck working a mundane and often ridiculous summer job (not to mention having Saturday Night Live’s Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as their bosses) that provides the bulk of the humor.

Overall the actors deliver performances which come across as genuine not only attesting to their talent but also to Mottola’s writing and direction. What is perhaps most interesting about the storyline and characters is how much the amusement park ultimately becomes a haven for them from the familial situations that they must endure. The complexity of the characters is certainly a step up from those of Superbad and hopefully something we will see more of in Mottola’s future projects.

The DVD extras are above average; and include: deleted scenes, a making of video, commentary from director Mottola and main actor Jesse Eisenberg, and a “picture music selection”. The number of deleted scenes can be counted on one hand and while one or two might be interesting, none are “must-see”. The making of video is very tongue & cheek, covering on set shooting, the characters and the actors who play them, as well as fashion and music choices. The commentary begins with Mottola saying that there will be little discussion given about the filmmaking process and indeed he sticks to his word. The majority of the time the two crack jokes for their own amusement, though every so often Eisenberg manages to ask specific questions about changes to the screenplay, choosing actors for roles, shooting certain scenes, etc. Basically for film junkies its best to have the commentary playing in the background while you are working on other things and simply stop and listen when something of interest gets mentioned. The “picture music selection” works like a scene breakdown where you get to jump to the specific scene during which the 1980s music you love is being played. Essentially it is a pointless extra as I assume most fans of the soundtrack would just get it on CD.

For those of you who have sprung for the Blu-ray version, you do get some additional treats. The best offering is a series of Adventureland commercials that were initially intended to be used as playback in scenes where a TV would be present. The commercials not only aesthetically look like low budget local ones from the time period but are also very funny. There is also an amusement park orientation training and drug policy video which have one or two moments of hilarity though far from the humor of the commercials. For those who always can’t help but laugh when they see a guy hit in the groin, there is a short segment focused on the character Frigo who enjoys “ball tapping”, and is essentially a couple of minutes of him running around the set at various times doing just that. Fashionistas will undoubtedly enjoy the character Lisa P’s video of her 1980s style, which has the flashing colors and odd video angles found in early music videos. The Blu-ray version additionally comes with a digital copy for those “on the go” people.

While Adventureland is a story that most adults can readily associate with, those who remember the 1980s are assuredly going to be the ones who embrace the film wholeheartedly and should buy it. While the comedy in this film is certainly different than Mottola’s previous effort, in general anyone who enjoys well written and executed comedy (even those with a fondness for the over the top laughs of Superbad) should rent the film.

Reviewer’s Opinion: RENT IT!!