I know this topic was already started. I did a search, and it showed a date of 4/09, but when I clicked on it, it said "you have chosen a topic that does not exist." So I guess it was deleted? Anyhoo, I watched this movie about 2 weeks ago. I had been wanting to see it because it was filmed here in Pittsburgh at Kennywood Park. Well, I thought the movie overall sucked. I thought it was supposed to be a comedy, but the whole thing was pretty much a downer. I would say don't waste your time on this movie. They had filmed it here in the fall of 2007. You could see the goose bumps on the actors' arms, and see their breath mist in some scenes. I wonder if they had any portable heaters around for after filming a scene? Ryan Reynolds was in it- he played a married man having an affair with one of the younger workers at Adventureland, played by the girl in the Twilight movies Kristen Stewart. She looked a mess, and so was her character. Anyone else see this film- what did you think of it?
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
I've seen it...same as you Pitts...not impressed. I had fairly high expectations going in, knowing it was set in the 80's...but it let me down.
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Thanks for the heads up; I was quite looking forward to seeing it until now. Trailer reminded me of 'Dazed & Confused' and I like the cast: Jesse Eisenbergs a good actor and Ryan Reynolds is usually hilarious. The 80s setting was a bonus.
Do you think people were expecteing another 'Superbad' that led to the dissapointment?
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
quote:Originally posted by Pittsburghgirl: I know this topic was already started. I did a search, and it showed a date of 4/09, but when I clicked on it, it said "you have chosen a topic that does not exist." So I guess it was deleted? Anyhoo, I watched this movie about 2 weeks ago. I had been wanting to see it because it was filmed here in Pittsburgh at Kennywood Park. Well, I thought the movie overall sucked. I thought it was supposed to be a comedy, but the whole thing was pretty much a downer. I would say don't waste your time on this movie. They had filmed it here in the fall of 2007. You could see the goose bumps on the actors' arms, and see their breath mist in some scenes. I wonder if they had any portable heaters around for after filming a scene? Ryan Reynolds was in it- he played a married man having an affair with one of the younger workers at Adventureland, played by the girl in the Twilight movies Kristen Stewart. She looked a mess, and so was her character. Anyone else see this film- what did you think of it?
agreed with everything you stated. i saw it and was very underwhelmed. it did have good music though. i did get the soundtrack.
Posted by Pittsburghgirl (Member # 7514) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kash: Thanks for the heads up; I was quite looking forward to seeing it until now. Trailer reminded me of 'Dazed & Confused' and I like the cast: Jesse Eisenbergs a good actor and Ryan Reynolds is usually hilarious. The 80s setting was a bonus.
Do you think people were expecteing another 'Superbad' that led to the dissapointment?
Kash, it was nothing like Dazed and confused or Superbad,and I liked both of those movies. I don't think I was expecting another Superbad. I was expecting a rom-com with a bunch of college aged kids pulling pranks on each other at work at the amusement park and whatnot. It was nothing like that- Eisenburg's character likes Kristen Stewart's character, but then she starts sleeping around with the married park maintenance man (Ryan Reynolds). Eisenburg's family is having money problems. The whole story was a downer. I also thought they could have made it "more 80's". The only person who was remotely 80's-ish was the girl who ran the one ride- I can't remember her name. She and her friend liked to dance all the time, and she had long hair and kind of 80's clothes. The rest of the characters looked generic, like the movie was set in the 2000's instead of the 1980's.
Posted by pettyfan (Member # 2260) on :
Thanks for the heads up, because I was waiting to see it. Don't guess I'll waste my time now.
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Just saw it: Started off really well then took a dive and just ended. Good acting overall: Bill Hader was hilarious as the park owner, watchable but not particularly good, a bit like '200 Cigarettes'. Ryan Renolyds character was written as a cad but he bought some humanity to the role IMO.
Pitts, I see what you mean about the look; to me it seemed more like it was the 1970s (perhaps intentional to show that they were a little behind the times) but nothing to mark it out as 1980s besides the music. The girl: Lisa P did have an 80s look. An average movie.
Posted by jdocster McFly you Irish bug (Member # 5752) on :
I saw it a couple of months ago. I liked the music, the amusement park, etc. It was missing something. It had some 80s "feel" but not much. Wiig and Hader were good in it. Hader had a pretty funny scene chasing a tough guy. The director (Greg Mottola) missed a lot of the nuances of the 80s. He also directed Superbad. I thought he missed a lot of the 80s feel in that movie too. It was funny, but it felt like it could have been 1998 not 1988...
- jdoc
Posted by Pittsburghgirl (Member # 7514) on :
I agree, Hader and Wiig were the only good thing about the movie. I just felt like it wasn't set in the 1980's like it was supposed to be- it felt like the 2000's (alot of kids are wearing 70's style clothes like those ugly striped polos with the pocket like my Grandfather wore lol!).
Posted by journey (Member # 7316) on :
I think the biggest problem with it was the advertising campaign. They went out of their way to market it as a comedy when it was really a coming-of-age drama (and a pretty boring one at that). It was also loaded with anachronisms, like everyone has said. One of the ones that jumped right out at me was all the 18-year-old characters hanging around and drinking at the bar, buying beer, etc. The film takes place in the summer of 1987 in New York, but the legal drinking age was raised to 21 in the state of New York in 1985.
Posted by pettyfan (Member # 2260) on :
Well I watched it. It had no plot but I kinda liked it. It was hard to follow at times, and it wasn't quite what I'd expected but I thought it was okay.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
In reflection.. I was majorly disappointed except for the music. Sad part is the fact that it had potential.. but missed when it came to the 80's feel.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:Originally posted by Valley: In reflection.. I was majorly disappointed except for the music. Sad part is the fact that it had potential.. but missed when it came to the 80's feel.
It happens like that all too often. Music and haircuts are not all that makes a decade feel like a decade.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
Just watched this and it was pretty good. Good characters, big emotions and cool music. Damn that Lisa P. (Margarita Levieva) was hot!
And yeah, they even had Rhododendrons
Posted by Bernie_Lomax (Member # 8571) on :
Well I thought Superbad, was super bad, so I will definitely give this a miss.
Posted by Anthony33 (Member # 9820) on :
I've been meaning to see this since it came out. I'll probably give this one a rental. Journey said this movie takes place in New York. Do they mention if it's supposed to take place in Long Island? Just wondering, since there IS an Adventureland amusement park in Farmingdale, Long Island. I used to go there in the '90s. Is that where it's supposed to take place? Like, do they specify any kind of town or city? I think there's a scene in the Hugh Grant movie Words and Music where he supposedly performs in an Adventureland park as well. I think in that one they do mention Long Island though, so just wondering if this movie takes place in Long Island as well.
Posted by Helen_S (Member # 5804) on :
I agree with some that it didn't feel particularly 80's, there wasn't really a need to set it then. But other than that I really enjoyed it. I'm glad it wasn't as advertised. Bit of a sucker for these kinds of slow, sombre pieces. And Reynolds
Posted by EnniterraAG (Member # 10513) on :
You`ve made some very astute observations and I am thankful for the the effort you have put into your writing. Its clear that you know what you are talking about. I am looking forward to reading more.
[ 29. December 2011, 12:25: Message edited by: P_a_u_l ]