Review of Paper Towns (2015) by Hanneguacamole — 04 Aug 2015

Paper Towns is the stereotypical "white people problems" and I think that could have been expected even before paying actual money to watch it. I'm not saying it was a terrible movie, because that's not the case, but honestly I think the story in itself was not great. I'm pretty sure I've read this book – years ago – but I can't imagine that the story was more involving or emotional than what was shown on-screen.

I think my biggest problem with the story itself lies within the fact that Margo Roth Spiegelman is portrayed not like a person, but a fascination. A fascination – almost a toy – that Quentin feels the need to take ownership of. He thinks she needs to be saved and she is his to save, when the reality is that he shows up unannounced thousands of miles away. That's more creepy stalker than anything. This movie isn't even romantic. It's weird.

Paper Towns is a journey. A literal journey. Hypothetically that should be ok, let a movie's plot do what it wants, but the physical movement of their minivan moved it along more than the characters. I would rather watch a movie about nothing with characters I would take a bullet for than a movie with a journey across the country with characters that are, ultimately, words on a piece of paper.