Paper Towns Review
Paper towns, a movie adaption from John Green’s book of the same name, was released in theaters on July 24th. Although there are many funny parts in the movie, overall it does not live up to expectations, and leaves the viewer disappointed in the end.
The movie starts off with a flashback from Quentin and Margo when they were young, neighbors and best friends. They did everything together, and often went on risky adventures. One day, it shows them biking to a dead body, without many emotions coming from either of them. They don’t run away shocked or crying, and instead bike home emotionless.
It then jumps forward 10 years Quentin and Margo are in their senior year of high school. Margo has become the popular girl in school, that every girl wishes to be and every guy wishes he had. She is daring and adventurous, as well as hilarious. Quentin grows to the typical teenage nerd. He is a straight a student, with two other close friends. Because their lives have turned down such different paths, it explains they have gradually drifted apart, but Quentin has never lost feelings for Margo. Although it seems sweet, it makes him out to be a bit creepy. It shows him constantly staring out his window watching Margo, longing to be with her.
One day, Margo breaks into Quentin’s room like she used to when they were kids, asking for another adventure. Her ex boyfriend cheated on her, and together, they prank everyone involved as revenge. After this Quentin’s new love and passion for Margo never dies down. She explains that everyone is “paper thin”, and fake and she needs to get out of their “paper town”. Then one day, she suddenly disappears, but leaves behind clues.
As soon as Quentin realizes she is missing, he decides he has to be the knight in shining armor to rescue her, even though he barely knows her anymore. His friends and Margo’s best friend, join him as they take Quentin’s car to travel the map they built in search of Margo. Almost the entirety of the the movie built off of the Quentin and his friends in the car on the road to Margo, where a variety of funny adventures and mishaps happen. Even though this part of the movie is funny, I was also eager to see that part when Quentin finally “rescues” Margo.
Unfortunately, there is almost no romance here. Margo tells Quentin he should not have come, and somehow, those clues were not for him. Quentin is heartbroken, and goes home. He then lives a normal life with his friends and forgets almost Margo ever existed, with this leaving the viewing definitely disappointed.
