In between trying to make sure no one wins a big-ass panda on any of the park's games, James makes friends with the nerdy Joel (Martin Starr) and falls in love with the beautiful Em Lewin (Kristen Stewart). He also starts hanging with technician Mike Connell (Ryan Reynolds), a seemingly okay guy who nevertheless inflates his ego by telling suspicious stories of jamming with Lou Reed. If James doesn't pick up on the suspect elements of the Lou Reed stories, that's his biggest failing, because it also means that he doesn't pick up on the vibes between Em and Connell. James may have gone through college, but he's still a virgin, and apparently still naive; in his rush to trust people and make friends, he's setting himself up for disappointment.
And what's perhaps most surprising about Adventureland is that it lets its characters fail, and then has the guts to explore the consequences. Where Superbad had its McLovin flights of fancy, Adventureland has a lovable kind of indie realism. It's beautifully shot, and Mottola has paid close attention to every small detail, from the evocative period soundtrack (I'll say no more than that it manages to fit in both "Rock Me Amadeus" and the Replacements) to the nuanced relationships. Indeed, if it hadn't been advertised as a big raunchy comedy, I would've assumed it was some scruffy little festival flick. And maybe that's why, despite being from the guy behind Superbad and starring the chick from Twilight, Adventureland barely made a dent at the box office in the same weekend that the vapid Fast & Furious broke records.
Sure, it has a subtler sense of humor than most teen flicks, but it's just as funny. I mean, when you consider its cast, there's no way it couldn't be. Bill Hader is hilarious in a scene-stealing turn as Adventureland's owner, with a big goofy mustache and a disarming politeness; Mottola is smart enough to realize that, given too much screen time, this character could easily have become a caricature, and so Hader gratefully waits on the sidelines for his big moments. Likewise, Kristen Wiig, as Hader's wife, is rarely seen, but when she is, she makes the most of it.
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