It has come to my attention that the Twilight series is incredibly popular amongst the t5m readership, and so it is with baited breath that I await the release of New Moon. Will I be able to review it honestly and live to write another day? In the mean time, if you are a Twilight fan and can’t wait to get your fix of Bella, why not go and see Adventureland? It has Kristen Stewart in it, and she has been more than slightly typecast in a role that has strong echoes of Bella: the quite, damaged loner who has problems stemming from a rough childhood. In Adventureland, a coming of age comedy from the Director of Superbad, Stewart’s character Em is a lot less chaste and a lot more into her wacky baccy than Bella. Though having never read the Twilight saga there may be some bong-hitting action when Bella and Edward go to college. Do they go to college? Witness the extent of my ignorance.*

Anyway, Adventureland follows James (Jesse Eisenberg), a graduate who has to ditch his summer plans of travelling around Europe because his father is demoted to a lower paying position. James is forced to look for work at Adventureland, the local theme park which has seen better days. Luckily it is staffed by weird, funny, sexy and tragic characters and a life changing summer begins. He falls for Em (Stewart) the alluring, gothy outsider, as well as for Lisa P, an attractive but empty-headed employee. James also builds relationships by supplying the whole of the staff with weed. Eisenberg looks and acts like a stockier Michael Cera, and his style of delivery is a carbon copy of Cera’s clipped, self-deprecating tone. Bill Hader (Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshal), Martin Starr (Knocked Up) and Ryan Reynolds (loads of stuff) all play out various satellite roles which influence the central romance and it is all very well constructed and enjoyable to watch.

However, if you have ever seen any other coming of age movie of this kind you will know exactly what to expect. Each character offers something we’ve seen before, which isn’t a problem as such, it’s just slightly disappointing. It is also meaninglessly set in 1987, and while the period setting allows for some excellent costumes and a solid sound track, these are the only concessions to 80s nostalgia. On the plus side there are some extremely funny moments, though the fun is tempered somewhat by the angst-ridden, broken relationships which litter the film.

If you haven’t seen a coming of age comedy for a while I urge you to check this out before it is wiped from the face of the multiplex. Ultimately it is harmless fun, and has a lot more realism and heart than Superbad. If a lot fewer crotch related jokes.

*(As a brief post-script, let me give you my response to the extended New Moon trailer I saw a few months ago. It is based, as you will be able to tell, on my extremely limited knowledge of Twilight lore. Jacob (the wolf-boy thing) has beefed himself up nicely, hasn’t he? And in the interview with him he is pretty pleased about it. But ah, it is the ruddiness of his cheeks that gives away his innocence and sensitivity, isn’t it? Particularly when he is exerting himself. He looks healthier than those poor old vampires. I wonder whether they will have put a bit more money into special effects this time. New Moon is out in November.)