"Adventureland" is the thunder that follows the "Superbad" lightning.
The director of both insightful comedies, Greg Mottola, has wasted little time establishing himself as an expert on making you laugh with and at desperate, post-adolescent virgins in their strained quests for love.
Dripping with acid-washed authenticity in dialogue and performances, "Adventureland" tastes a heck of a lot like "Superbad." It's a film, like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Dazed and Confused," that feels like it was made by those who remember all too well what it was like to be lost in the directionless delirium of youth.
The setting is the summer of 1987 at a Pittsburgh amusement park. Bitter that financial circumstances have forced him to cancel a trip to Europe, over-analytical liberal-arts grad James (Jesse Eisenberg) plods through a job he hopes will let him move to New York for grad school.
As Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" plays over the loudspeakers, James tries to avoid eye contact with customers as they lose rigged "skill games." He meekly flirts with his female co-workers, including Em (Kristen Stewart), muscling up the nerve to ask her out while, yep, "Rock Me Amadeus" plays once again. He also chews the philosophical fat with lanky co-worker Joel (Martin Starr) even as that infernal song is again splitting his skull.
James has no plan other than knowing he doesn't want to end up like the maintenance guy, Connell (Ryan Reynolds), who, according to rumors -- no doubt started by Connell himself -- once jammed with Lou Reed.
Even though James feels sorry for Connell, who cheats on his wife with any girl at the park he can get his paws on, James respects him because he's such a smooth operator. Responding to the adoration in kind, Connell dishes out relationship advice. Tip No. 1: Girls don't like hearing about exes who've broken your heart.
James' fitful evolution into a man with confidence and purpose is plagued by pitfalls. He can't read the minds of girls he likes, while making it all too easy for them to read his. James seemingly takes a step sideways for every time he stumbles forward. And anytime things start to look up -- say, when Em invites James to her pool party -- the world has its way of reversing course once again, accompanied by another round of "Rock Me Amadeus."
"Adventureland" is peppered with subtle humor embedded in situational awkwardness: An unintended erection here, a foolish pickup line there, a knife-wielding contestant bent on winning the unwinnable gigantic stuffed panda over there.
James comes to understand that, unlike the park's roller coasters, the destination is more important than the journey. If you can ride out the ups and downs of life, you might learn how to rock it like, well, you know who.
3.5 stars out of 4
Rated: R for language, drug use and sexual references.
Writer/director: Greg Mottola.
Family call: Meant for adults.
Running time: 107 minutes.
(Pvillarreal(at)azstarnet.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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