Starring: Vince Vaugh, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Max Minghella, Joanna Garcia, John Goodman, Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Szohr
Written by: Vince Vaugh, Jared Stern
Rating: 6.5/10
So many people, from my favourite critics, to fellow moviegoers, have absolutely slated this movie. Why? Because, at first glance, it appears to be the underdog comedy that Google basically used as a two hour advert for recruiting. To some extent, it does feel too long - the running time doesn't help, but the pace and the script all come under fire here. You'll realise about 3/4 of the way through that you are slightly numb from just sitting there. But it's not a terrible film - we've seen terrible films before. We've even seen terrible films this year - which we gave above average ratings for said films. This is not a terrible film - it's also nothing new. It's the typical buddy comedy mixed in with your straight forward underdog fight with the inevitable outcome. It's rare to see a great underdog film nowadays where the film makes you suspend your disbelief in the story and makes you believe that the underdog won't eventually win - experience trumps optimism for most cinema attendees.
But it's still not a terrible film. It's like Wedding Crashers but less amiable. The narrative is bloated and some of the gags feel forced - but the 'fresh' and 'new' faces alongside Wilson and Vaughn help create a style of terrestrial comedy that mixes in multiple styles without missing too many steps. Wilson and Vaughn's characters do make many forced 80s and 90s references that seem deigned to help develop their character, but some of their moments do bring back fond memories of Wedding Crashers, or their performances from Shanghai Noon, and Dodgeball, respectively.
The story centres around focuses on two ageing salesmen who end up getting an internship at Google where they have to go through a series of games in teams to prove themselves. The winning team end up with jobs, the rest go home. The challenges range from finding a bug in a line of code to learning how to man the Google helpline. They get teamed up with the misfits, exaggerating their awkward situation and their outsider qualities.
Plus the fact that they do not understand anything that relates to tech companies, to software or any understanding or computers.
This film won't have you cheering like Flashdance or even a Footloose, but it'll bring a smile to your face and a few chuckles along the way.
Artistically, and from a critical stand point, this film is a giant advert for Google, for it's program and a terribly aimed comedy at two distinct demographics. At heart, and as an average movie going experience - if you're between the ages of 15-50, you'll probably get most of (if not all) the references, have a decent time and it will make you smile as it reaches the inevitable ending that all such comedies reach. There's some subtle racial and social racial stereotypes - but since the dawning of modern comedy, stereotypes and exaggerations have been the heart and fare of most mainstream comedy movies. The stereotype clashes are where the drama and the comedy are meant to come from - and while it doesn't flow, it ebbs.
It's not a great film. But it's not terrible either.
That's not a point of pride - but as far as summer blockbuster comedies go, it could have gone the route of Scary Movie 5. It didn't, and we're glad.
(Unless you dislike Google - in which case, you'll hate it.)
What the Mr. Thought:
I'd say to go see it, but I wouldn't recommend it as strongly as some of the other summer films that have hit us so far or will hit us. It's nice and will bring a decent warmth to an afternoon or evening. It's not a must see comedy by any stretch of the imagination and it does tax your reserves of patience/emotion at times. The pacing, the soundtrack and the cinematography that labours you with hundreds of shots of the Google logo will annoy. But the story at heart will warm to a fair few people.
What the Misses Thought:
The Internship is such a feel good film! Laughing and smiling the whole way through, it really was amusing and comical. I loved it! I would definitely recommend watching this if you need a few good laughs.
But you didn't hear that from us,
The Mr. and the Misses
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