A teenage boy loves and loses, all in a scavenger hunt to get back the girl he defines as his miracle, in ‘Paper Towns’. Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green (“The Fault in Our Stars”), the movie is a coming of age story centering on Quentin (Nat Wolff) and his enigmatic neighbor Margo (Cara Delevigne), who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears, leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick witted friends on an unforgettable adventure that will change them all for the rest of their lives. Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship and true love. I was a little disappointed to find out that this movie came in at #6 on it’s opening weekend, with a dismal 12 million dollars made. I personally enjoyed this film, but felt that it fell short of it’s author’s predecessor, mostly due to a lack of significant characters, as well as lack of emotional range that is lacks from it’s audience. What is good about the film is that there is a deeper meaning behind the plots used for table dressing. This is a movie about time. Whether in the meaning of graduating high school and leaving behind the friends you love for life, or the time to change the things about your life that you don’t like before it’s too late. It all lands on the cusp of a very likeable cast, even if they aren’t always used in the best of ways. Wolff showed some real comedic timing in Green’s first film, but it’s nice to see he can carry the load of a lead with just as much charisma. We’ve all been in the position of liking someone that we know we can’t have, so there is always that voice in our heads that is rooting for this kid. In a sense, i took his character a lot like Emile Hirsch’s in 2004’s ‘The Girl Next Door’. There is a nice transformation for him by the film’s end, but the ending leaves out any chance for his triumph to be recognized. The ending is getting a lot of negativity by critics, and i can kind of understand it to a point. What i did enjoy about it is that it makes sense. It’s also a film that has guts when it comes to possibly alienating the audience who have made the 100 minute investment. If i pointed to anything critique-worthy about the film, it’s in the almost slapstick comedy style scenes that leave the second act of the film in a tone deaf mess. They come out of nowhere, and it just feels like a child trying to squeeze a square peg into a circle outline. If the movie stuck more to it’s noble intentions, it would’ve worked more for the last scene when the friends go their seperate ways. There are some things that shone a light on my final year in high school, but i never felt that ‘Paper Towns’ was anything more than a lovestruck boy pursuing a crush that the movie forgets to develop why she is as great as Quentin makes her out to be. The juice doesn’t feel like it’s worth the squeeze, but it does all go down smooth enough with a nice mystery, as well as a young cast full of chemistry that will no doubt give us tons of smiles to come for years. Keep an eye open for the gas station cameo if you are a fan of Green’s first film (wink wink)

6/10