Blu-Ray Review: ‘Adventureland’

Adventureland is a great movie. We’ll start there.   It’s one of those sweet, endearing, raw looks at what it means to be a confused, angst ridden kid struggling to find their place in the world. Although the story sounds cliche, it’s definitely sprinkled with enough   new ideas, that it never falters. Part of what makes the movie stand out from others in the teen dramedy subgenre, is the wonderful direction by  Greg Mottola. The film is sincere, complex and crammed with honest and awkward moments.   Jesse Eisenberg, who plays the film’s stuttering and fumbling hero James, is the perfect underdog. After finding out he doesn’t have the funds required to go to the school he wants, James is forced to take a dead end job at the local amusement park, Adventureland. James soon discovers that the girl he needs may be different than who he thought he wanted. When a complicated co-worker named Em (Kristen Stewart) catches James’ eye, things quickly get serious for the hopeless romantic and the girl who’s too confused for romance.

I’ll refrain from writing just another review for Adventureland and keep this brief. It’s great. You should get it and watch it. However, this here is a review for the super special Blu-Ray edition! Let’s just say that the BD is great. The picture is fantastic (especially during the beautiful night shots), the audio is equally fantastic. It must be mentioned that the soundtrack will rock your auditory cortex with Amadeus for the next three weeks, and you’ll love it.

The special features on the BD are the fairly basic, mildly entertaining fare. There are a few ups though. Greg Mottola’s commentary is funny and there is a pleasant little making-of featurette. My favorite special feature is the mini-documentary on Frigo’s (Matt Bush) Ball Taps. The mini-doc (aprox. 8-10 mins.) features Matt Bush who, teaching by example, explains the different methods he uses for the forgotten art of punching a friend in the balls.

If you want a fun, genuine film, and If you want a classic 80’s story told from a modern perspective (minus the corn) then Adventureland is definitely worth the purchase. Pick it up, and learn new ways to punch your pals in the crotch! You won’t regret it.