I like to think of The Inbetweeners as the Great Bond; whether your young, old, famous, normal, chav, indie, emo, girl or boy it seems that The Inbetweeners is the best show around to connect people together (there are so little who seem displeased.) The award winning television show (winning a lot of audience nominated gongs), you can expect a full feature length film to be hyped up to the point where it can go two ways; fantastic and brilliant or disappointing and shambolic. With so much expectations and little that hadn't been done on the show, The Inbetweeners movie has to pull some spectacular moves to please all. Let me tell you, it really does.
If you haven't heard of The Inbetweeners (and let me personally welcome you back to civilization,) the film revolves around four unlucky in life misfits; the socially awkward brainiac Will (Simon Bird), the hopelessly love torn Simon (Joe Thomas), the sex pest liar Jay (James Buckley) and the brilliant but dim Neil (Blake Harrison.) At the end of their college years, the boys embark on a typical lad's holiday to see in their University years and to help Simon get over Carly, who recently dumped him. In the Greek resort of Mallia, the boys get up to as much mayhem, embarrassment and degradation as they do in the series from a shoddy resort to a lack of funding. When a bunch of equally misfitted girls arrive, it seems that their luck has finally changed for once.
The film is everything you would want from an Inbetweeners movie; the humor is fantastic. Ranging from quirky social faux pas' (such as Will yet again insulting a disabled girl) to gross out bodily functions and nudity (a quick note for gentlemen; its mostly male nudity,) The Inbetweener's movie hit all the right notes. And the jokes come on thick and fast without a moment to breath from the first joke to the next. Much credit is due to the actors, who not only bring tension to the gawky moments but also bring a sense of realism to the over the top moments that also happen. Each character has their own niche and it is play brilliantly throughout the film. Also, the newcomers (aka the girls) each bring a flare about them as they fit hand in hand with the guys and spar off each other in a fury of brilliant one liners.
Whilst this is all good though, it isn't exactly original and that is where the film fails. Instead of mirroring the fresh cringe worthy show, there seems to be many imitations of previous lad's holiday films including Kevin & Perry Go Large. Which is a shame because instead of the unique scenarios, there are many moments that are predictable and thus take away from the laugh out loud surprise that the writers Damon Beesley and Iain Morris were probably expecting. There are also points and great characters that were hyped up greatly in the trailers but only had a sparse amount of screen time, (menacing Head Teacher Mr Gilbert has a minimal role although he is excellent.)
You can't help but love Will, Jay, Simon and Neil despite their faults (they are, after all, kind of horrible.) But over the past three years you can't help but feel that you've grown up with them and watch them stumble through life like a very drunken Bambi. Its not a masterpiece and it is certainly not a film for the weak stomached but it serves its purpose well. It's a fiendish but hilarious take of that rite of passage; the drunken holiday.
3.5/5
TTFN
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