The film centers on the character of Quentin, who was close friends with his neighbor Margo until they enter high school and grow apart. One night while he is sleeping, Margo breaks into Quentin's bedroom and convinces him to help her go on a mission to get revenge on everyone who has wronged her. The next morning, Quentin goes to school and realizes that Margo is missing. He begins to follow clues that he finds in order to track down Margo's whereabouts, and eventually recruits a team of his friends to help in the search. Through his searching for Margo, Quentin experiences things that would normally fall outside of his comfort zone, and he begins to question his relationships and his life.
What this film did bring to the table was both a good portrayal of teenage confusion, and an interesting plot that managed to hold my interest through the entirety of the movie. I suppose John Green should be credited for this particular aspect; after all, the film is based on his book. In spite of the shortcomings that Paper Towns has, the storyline was still good enough to make me want to keep watching and see what happens in the end.
But despite these two positive elements, Paper Towns managed to underwhelm me in nearly every other aspect. First, I want to address the acting, which I thought was somewhat mediocre. Although nobody who stars in this film did a terrible job portraying their characters, nobody really shone either. I especially didn't feel much of a genuine connection between the two main characters, Margo and Quentin, played by Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff. Also, despite the unique plot, there was an element of ennui throughout the duration of Paper Towns that just never seemed to go away. I can't say I was completely bored; the plot was interesting and did hold my attention. But there is just a certain lackadaisical element that has a strong hold on this film. The bottom line is that there's just a thick enough thread of a story to pull you into Paper Towns, but hardly any impact beyond that, emotional or otherwise. I found myself not really caring what happened to the characters or how the film would end, I just wanted to see it through simply to know what happens.
So the bottom line is this: I expected more from Paper Towns and overall was disappointed with what I ended up watching. It's certainly not a terrible movie, but it really lacks the depth or character connection that transports a movie into an award-winning classic. If you're still adamant about watching Paper Towns, at least wait until you can view it somewhere cheaper than a theater.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery/Drama
Run Time: 109 minutes
Release Date: July 24, 2015
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