Review of Paper Towns (2015) by Dallin C — 17 Nov 2015

Paper Towns is a nice coming of age story. It's got a real innocence about it. Nat Wolf is fantastic as the lead. He gives a really good performance that's very real and heartfelt. The chemistry between the group of friends is very good and they work well off each other. I also really liked the ending, they didnt go for a cheap ending and they kept it real and not some make believe love story.

However, there was quite a bit of bad. Cara Delevingne was not very good in the lead. Her performance is boring and not very inspiring. It's bland and disingenuous. I didn't buy anything about her character. I didn't buy that she's one of the most popular girls in school and everyone wants to be with her. Maybe i've been out of high school too long now (it's only bee 7 years) but her personality just doesn't fit the "popular" type. Plus her eyebrows were super distracting.

There was also a point where a very popular girl just starts hanging out with the "nerds" and drops all her friends and goes on this road trip and goes to prom with one of them. It was very out of place and didn't feel believable. The mom jokes were also unnecessary and creepy and out of place. And while the innocence is a nice feel, it feels a little too teeny at times and so its harder for an older person to connect with the characters and care about what's going on.

But overall, it is a nice coming of age story. It can be enjoyed and if anything, Nat Wolf is fantastic as the lead and really carries the movie.