The quirky characters surrounding Adventureland are what make this film worth watching. While I never really felt this to be that funny (even though it is billed as a comedy) throughout, the flick did hold my attention and I felt drawn in by the characters and their interactions with each other. Anyone who has been thrown into a similar situation (mine happened to be as a youngster at Bible Camp) will appreciate the personalities involved.
Adventureland follows James as he eventually seeks out Em (Kristen Stewart - Twilight), a fellow Carney worker, after he falls for her during the summer. Also making an appearance is Van Wilder himself, Ryan Reynolds, playing the role of the theme park's maintenance worker and Em's original love interest. While this adulterous relationship continues, so do the interests of James toward Em. As the summer unfolds, the characters and relationships develop further until Adventureland finally locks up its gates for the season.
As mentioned before, Adventureland is billed as a comedy. Although I did laugh at some of the scenes in the film, I feel that the film as a whole wasn't exactly laugh-out-loud hilarious... more of small snickers and under my breath snorts. I did, however, enjoy the movie as a whole. It certainly has a way of grabbing you and drawing you in. If you can get past some of the drug use references and language, younger audiences will likely enjoy this movie. Adventureland also has a pretty great soundtrack for those of us stuck in the 80's (the film takes place in 1987), although I guarantee that you'll get the song "Amadeus" in your head by the end credits. The characters are very well developed, which is what makes Adventureland certainly worthy of a rental, if not more.
