Review of Paper Towns (2015) by Jeff B — 04 Aug 2015

The Gall in Our Stars.

Thanks to some Paper dolls among the cast, novelist John Green's latest adaptation sneaks by on charm even though it doesn't come close to reaching the hard-hitting emotional heights of his last big-screen success. Granted, The Fault in Our Stars came with just as fervent a literate fanbase, but the more free-wheeling stakes of Paper Towns never play as seriously with life and death issues like its forebear. A glass half full, it just plays with life, as in living it to the fullest. Oh, it wants to feel as heavy as a certain Star-ier drama but, unlike that much "better" written flick, the romance portion of these goings-on never really percolate. What works is the situation, however. Paper Towns concentrates more on ordinary misadventures as opposed to extraordinary adventures, which is more befitting of an average high school experience.

In this PG-13-rated drama, a young man (Wolff) and his friends embark upon the road trip of their lives to find the missing girl next door (Delevingne).

Green possesses a gift for changeling teenage gab that's nearly equal to the prodigious talented ear and word processor of John Hughes. Getting promoted from his supporting role in The Fault in Our Stars, Nat Wolff shines as the hesitant do-gooder who finally takes a chance. More so, the magnetic looks and personality of former supermodel Cara Delevingne steal every inch of digital - including the scenes she's not even in. The beat-infused soundtrack, however, deserves top honors for keeping moviegoers rocking even while book purists keep rolling their eyes.

Bottom line: The Gaul in Our Stars.