Everything one would expect from a comedy with the same 'A-level results are in so the kids will want to go out and celebrate and/or commiserate quick let's make a cheap thing from off of the telly' release-window as The Inbetweeners…
…and which wants to let you know it's from the producers of The Inbetweeners…
For the record, I enjoyed The Inbetweeners. When it was in its natural habitat of television. The Festival is essentially an hour and a half of exaggerated embarrassment and one-note dick jokes, some of which *do* work but only due to a combination of volume, frequency and the law of averages. The best part of this is probably Noel Fielding and the whole DJ Hammerhead sequence at the end, but even by the 80 minute mark the film hasn't earned it.
By no means the best comedy I've seen this year, but frankly not the worst either…
It's like being trapped in a lift with the commissioning editor for comedy programmes on BBC3 while they recount all the ideas they didn't let through…
Wait until it's on telly.
It's not.
That's possible.
There isn't.
Level 2: Nick Frost and Tony Way are in this, both of whom were in Spaced with Simon 'Plutt' Pegg.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
The Inbetweeners 2 Cert: 15 / 96 mins / Dir. Iain Morris & Damon Beesley
I won't lie, I wasn't expecting particularly great things from the second Inbetweeners Movie, largely because while I enjoyed the first one, I didn't think it was strong enough to warrant an hour and a half and the format was still too televisual for a cinema. While Messrs Morris and Beesley have clearly worked a lot harder on their sequel, there are still hurdles it can't clear (although most of those have been set up by the previous movie and TV episodes), and a scattering of jokes that the wooly liberal in me was hesitant to laugh at. The film is still a mixed bag and won't be for everybody, but within the closed arena of what it's trying to do I've seen little this year which can compete.
Most importantly, The Inbetweeners 2 is funny; more consistently funny than the first outing, and with humour that's not trying quite as hard to be spiteful (second-most importantly, Jay is way less of a dick this time, thankfully). There are a couple of OTT™ moments, of course, but in the context of The Inbetweeners they work very well. We get Will's narration for the entire movie, and although the secondary characters (ie the boys' parents) make fleeting appearances again, they feel far less shoehorned in this time around. But what the film does best is those moments of acute embarrassment, where we cringe not out of pity but recognition. I may not have sang 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' quite like that by a campfire, but I've been that guy. And if you've been that guy*1, The Inbetweeners is for you. Usually, a 15-rated comedy that features willies, poo in the face, wee in the face and poisoned sea-life would feel like it's trying too hard. For Morris and Beesley, it's a successful day at the office*2.
This sequel to a big-screen adaptation of a Channel 4 comedy series aimed at teenagers won't win over new audiences, but that was never its intention. Very funny, very messy and surprisingly touching in places, The Inbetweeners 2 is a fitting sendoff for the characters. Not a sentimental ride into the Australian sunset, just one last splash before they close down the water-park.
For best results, mix with friends and alcohol.
No, the film's better (and a lot more charming) than the trailer.
Although all those bits are in it.
I laughed and cringed, mostly in the right places.
I think so.
Your choice, really. It'll be just as funny on DVD.
I won't.
I will, but it'll be on a small screen and with some beer.
There isn't, but there is a boot shot, and that's almost as good.
I think this is a far more coherent screenplay than the first movie.
But what do I know? Discuss.
*1 Or girl. We all make fucking idiots of ourselves. Although to be fair, the boys tend to do it more spectacularly.
*2 And the sentence before that one should give you a pretty good idea of whether you'll enjoy The Inbetweeners 2, or not.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
Pre-amble: I like The Inbetweeners. Since I heard the rumour that the powers-that-be were making a movie of it, I've reserved judgement. I saw it last night. Let judgement commence.
On the plus side: My local cinema had two showings of this on Wednesday, and two on Thursday. All four of these sold out completely. It wasn't in the mahoosive Screen 1 or 5, but in Screen 2 which I think is around the 250 capacity mark. Filling the auditorium on Orange Wednesday isn't unknown, but to do the same on Full Price Thursday is to be commended. The good reviews and bums-on-seats that The Inbetweeners Movie is getting is great news for everybody.
That being said: …why is this on in the cinema? This isn't a film, it's a feature-length TV show (there's a massive difference, but feel free to take it to the comments if you disagree). I'm guessing there's now a generation of people who don't remember the TV>Movie adaptations of the 1970's (and/or don't ever skip past ITV3 when they're on), and therefore don't treat the very idea of TIbM with a mixture of trepidation and dread…
The Plot: Four school-leaver friends go on holiday to Malia and swear a lot. Funnier than it sounds.
The Good: If you like The Inbetweeners, it doesn't disappoint. It's got exactly the same vibe as the TV series (which is a nice way of saying it hasn't been adapted to the movie format particularly well), with a few extra swears thrown in. Actually, there are a lot of swears thrown in. Normally I'd be questioning the wisdom of this, but as the language is a) in keeping with the characters, b) in keeping with teenage boys, and c) pretty much how I speak when I'm not in polite company, I really can't complain. There are a couple of c-bombs in the film which I didn't think were that necessary, but they kind of work in context.
The Bad:TIbMis funny for the first hour or so, but then really seems to drag. I don't know if it's because the format isn't really meant to be watched for this length of time with no breaks, or maybe it's the lack of the TV series intro-music, incidental music and Will's commentary disappearing five minutes into the proceedings? Whatever the reason, there's not a lot to hold your attention after an hour of cock-jokes (and 90% of those consist of the characters saying "cock").
The Ugly: Secondary characters top-and-tail the film while the main-four (oh, and Carly) go on holiday. While they're there, they laugh, cry, bicker, and discover new things about themselves. So as adaptations go, it's like a train-crash carrying the cast of Are You Being Served, On The Buses, and Kevin and Perry Go Large, with Superbad picking throughout the wreckage. Unfortunately, the cliches don't end there, and the sub-plots of the individual characters (old and new) are so telegraphed that I was constantly reminded that this is aimed at 17yr olds. I'm not saying that 17yr old have poor taste in films, just that statistically they're less likely to find the content derivative as they have a smaller back-catalogue to refer to.
What you don't see: It occurred to me in the closing segment that the bit in the trailer where Neil is getting the tattoo, isn't in the film. By which I mean, the entire tattoo subplot isn't there. No doubt this will turn up on the DVD either as extras, or in an 'Uncut! Too rude for the cinema!' version. Where they'll also likely say "cock" a lot more.
All in all: For an episode of The Inbetweeners, it's good. For a movie, it's not. But it kept me engaged (well, for the first hour), and made a lot of people laugh a lot of the time, so it's doing something right.
Worth paying £8+ to see? Not particularly. Bear in mind that it'll be out on DVD in three months, be less than a fiver in six, and be on the telly within the year. Your choice, really.
I was going to mark this lower, but it's good for what it is, and it puts Hall Pass and Your Highness to shame. It's just not a movie.
I probably won't watch it again until I'm beered-up and doing an Inbetweeners marathon. Which is fair enough.
DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
