Movie Review: THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE Starring Simon Bird

I have to start off by telling you that I’m a massive fan of The Inbetweeners TV show, it’s hilarious and works on every level because just about every guy and girl can relate to it from their school days, it got its movie release and hit cinemas to the massive audiences that were expected.  I haven’t heard one person say a bad thing about it, “hilarious” is the word most people used, I can’t disagree it was in parts but the rest was just, well………….

Starring: Simon Bird, James Buckley, Joe Thomas and Blake Harrison

The Plot

Like me, you all remember the four guys going to high school during the TV show (although in real life they are all in their early 30’s), in the movie they have finished school.  Jay is addicted to the adult content on his laptop, Simon is dumped by Carly, Neil is working in Asda (Wal-Mart if your American) while Will is contemplating which prestigious University he will attend.  In order to cheer Simon up the four socially awkward teens head for Greek island Crete and its party capital Malia.

The Verdict

I was terribly disappointed, there I said it don’t hate me!  But, this wasn’t all that good. Yeah it made me laugh, sometimes extremely loud but it just got stupid after a while.  The antics are very funny, the four guys looking for the thing they always are “the puss-A”, only here they are doing it with some sun instead of dullness or rain. I really did have high hopes for this after everything I had heard, “it’s better than Kevin & Perry go Large”, I heard that a lot.  To be fair it was better than that probably more in that it’s more current to teenagers now.

The TV show lasted 30 minutes each episode, that was a brilliant amount of time as all of the gags are fitted in well meaning that you are laughing from start to finish, the movie is pretty much a two hour episode of the TV show, don’t worry though if you haven’t seen the TV show then you could still watch this and know what’s going on, you won’t be lost.  Silly sex gags only go so far, and probably only work in certain situations, those situations can be crammed into a 30 minute show but a movie is different keeping it funny for two hours (almost) is a stretch that The Inbetweeners didn’t quite achieve.

“It does what it says on the tin”, that’s another one I heard.  Yeah it does but the TV show is a heck of a lot funnier, I know the movie was supposed to have it’s little heartfelt moment when friends realise how important they are to each other but by the time we got there I was board, it’s been done before friends leave school go on holiday
get drunk fall out and then make back up before the final party which always seems to take place on a boat.

The movie was cut in order that it could come in at a 15 year old rating, that’s R-Rated in America, I’m fine with that but I really think they could have got away with more.  Horrible Bosses was far ruder than this and still only carried a 15 certificate but I suppose
that’s the difference between the British and American film councils isn’t it?  Problem is it needed the 15, rather than 18 as it’s probably 15, 16, 17 year olds who would find this trash hilarious.

I really wanted to enjoy this movie, I really, really did but I was very disappointed and think it could have been done so much better, it feels like it was rushed out in order to strike whilst the iron was still hot, someone forgot to write any jokes to be included in the script and quickly threw in some old ones from the TV show that have been done before.  So, yeah sorry I thought this movie was terrible.

Would I watch it again?

I would have to say no, but knowing me I’ll watch it again at some point.

Rating: M