As someone who has been to Action Park, now known as Mountain Creek, I thought I should take some time to watch this documentary. I have heard stories from my parents about how different the park used to be, but I did not know a lot about its overall history. While I did not go to the park before the early 2000s, I have been there enough to know that some parts of the park still have not changed. And I do not mean that as a complement.
If you are not familiar with Action Park, it was an amusement park that was known for not being safe or family friendly per say. Many people got injured at the park and some even died. It was not well regulated and was a safe haven for dare devils. The “rides” were not even designed by engineers. Jimmy Kimmel once said that every person in his family got injured at the park. I do not think that was an exaggeration. I think that sums it up: an amusement park designed by people who were not qualified.
It was interesting to watch this documentary and learn how up-and-coming Vernon, New Jersey once was. I always thought of it as a quiet, peaceful nature town and never as a competitor to Orlando, Florida or Atlantic City, New Jersey. It’s crazy how much it has changed over the years and how much I did not know about this town that I have been to so many times.
Overall, as someone who has endured a concussion and has been dealing with the repercussions for more than 6 years, I am not a fan of Action Park and its history. After watching the documentary, I do not see myself going to Mountain Creek again. I know that Action Park was alive during a different time, but it was never right to have a park with attractions that were known not to be safe. Going on a ride that was not designed by an engineer, but a random guy that had no idea how safe it would be? No thanks. But the crazy part is that the people going to the park likely knew all of this and they still wanted to go for the thrill of it.
Even Donald Trump thought that the park was too “unhinged” when he visited it. After his visit, he decided that it was not the right fit to invest in.
I can acknowledge that if I was alive when Action Park was at its peak, I might have a very different perspective. I appreciate how honest this documentary was but when some of the people spoke, I felt so nervous and anxious about the stories they were telling. It was hard to listen to. A park run by teenagers. Oh god. I think this film told a story that definitely needed to be told.
7/10
*Disclaimer: Making a movie/tv show is hard. Sometimes you have an idea and it is not interpreted how you intended it to be. All directors, producers, writers, and everyone on set should be proud at what they created and I do not want to diminish that. I just want to share my opinions so we can learn from movies and see what works and what didn’t.
Aloha Arianna 