When it comes to financial problems, James, a college graduate, must look for a summer job instead of traveling abroad. James finds himself in front of a different turn when he moves to Adventureland, an amusement park where he has a relationship with a captivating colleague at work. Now, things look fine and perhaps the worst summer ever does not look bad in any case.
Adventureland is ultimately an interesting but flawed mixture of Mottolla's early indie sensibility (The Daytrippers) with some of the more mainstream teen comedy elements of Superbad.
The messages -- about silver linings in lousy jobs, the collision of hormones and heartstrings, and the adventure of discovering who you really are and what you really want -- ring honest and true, for any era.
Adventureland isn't as clever as Kicking, and not nearly as hilarious as Superbad, but it's still a sweet little memory ache, a Proustian cookie co-flavored with semiotics and Whitesnake.
Deadspin
June 22, 2013
It's a film of overwhelming goodwill. You'll like everyone in this movie, and you'll leave the theater thinking they would probably like you too.
