Adventureland (2009) - 7/10

I had high hopes for Adventureland, Greg Mottola's follow up to Superbad, and have to say that although it did win me over by the end, there was just something missing for me to call it great. Taking place around the summer of 87' where a bunch of kids work at a place called Adventureland, what I liked from the beginning was the realism to the dialogue and dorky characters that we are introduced to which bring most of the comic relief in their hatred of their day jobs and mundane existence. The little details in the way they all go out at night or how they make of the best of this situation is easy to identify with but I found that it got a little too serious at times of trying to just set up the love triangles and jealousy. Most of the fun comes from not within the park where everyone has to wear their serious masks but when they get to be themselves at parties and learning to balance this idea of growing up with wanting to find a meaning in life after this summer job. Overall though, there's not enough laugh out loud moments as Superbad but instead just akward relationships and situations that are made funny by the great music and cast who really aren't given much to go with. I'm sure it will get better after repeated viewings but for now, I'll wait to see if it can hold up.