Empire's The Inbetweeners Movie Movie Review

The Inbetweeners Movie
Big screen wankers

Plot
Dumped by love of his life Carli (Emily Head), end of schooler Simon (Thomas), along with mates Will (Bird), Jay (Buckley) and Neil (Harrison), decides to head for Malia hoping for "sun, sand, sex, sea and sex". Cue crap hotels, embarrassing sunburn, alcoholic fish bowls, willing girls and a boat party of a lifetime.

Review

Let’s be honest, you can count great UK youth flicks on one hand. So Olly Murs hats off, then, to The Inbetweeners Movie, an upgrade for the E4 teen comedy that matches the gag rate of any film this summer and delivers it with the panache of the Yanks but the scatological feel of the best of Brit comedy. If you have Kevin & Perry Go Large in your head, forget it. This is much closer to Superbad. But with more vag jokes.

Financed by the death of Jay’s grandfather, the boys, “looking like the world’s shittest boy band”, head off to Malia where writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley put them through the lads' holiday from hell, taking in OAP shagging, nicking the sunbathing spot from a disabled girl, projectile vomiting, sleeping in ants' nests, pooing in a bidet and a run-in with a master of self-fellatio. Plot threads from the show are woven throughout - an introduction in Blighty sets everything up, Simon spends much of the movie mooning after Carli who is also on holiday - but this doesn’t need any prior knowledge. It’s just a succession of cringe-worthy set pieces - the boys dance-off to impress some girls is priceless - that escalate in embarrassment as the movie goes on.

Happily, the movie also has cinematic chops. Early doors, the camera starts high in the sky and then swoops down through suburban streets and up to a window where Jay is having a hand-shandy using the internet, diving goggles and slices of honey roast ham - it’s American Pie directed by David Fincher. There are also strategic uses of slow motion - the boys in ‘Pussay Patrol’ T-shirts coming out of a hotel like a shite Reservoir Dogs - that make you laugh without laying it onto thick. It also captures those Greek holiday resorts in all their garish awfulness.

Unlike the Arsenal football squad, The Inbetweeners dramatis personae has always had strength in-depth and the movie is no exception: the four gals - Laura Haddock’s wise owl Alison, Tamla Kari’s lovelorn Lucy, Lydia Rose Bewley’s sparky Jane and Jessica Knappett’s straight arrow Lisa register in Romantic Interest roles, providing punchlines and pathos of their own. Yet supporting player of the match is Theo Barklem-Biggs as Richard, one of the wasted space cadets that haunt any holiday resort constantly muttering “cool beans... cool beans... cool beans”. He drifts in and out of it but makes a lasting impression.

But, at the end of the day, The Inbetweeners has always been about its central friendship and amidst the vomit and the virginity losing, the film delivers a realistic believable portrait of young blokes - look out for a touching discussion as the penny drops that university might spell the end of the friendship. The performances from Bird, Thomas, Buckley and Harrison are pitch-perfect and amplify a sweetness that is only an undercurrent in the show. Lessons are learned - one huge element of the show is laid to rest - and friendships cemented, although never in a mawkish way. As they arrive in back in Blighty, the unthinkable might have happened: they might have come of age.

Verdict

Reviewed by Ian Freer

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Average user rating for The Inbetweeners Movie

Judging by these reviews
Bit of a mixed bag. I really enjoyed it. A lot more tender and bittersweet than the series, obviously inbetween the granny fingering and klacking in bidets comedic moments. The central relationship between Will and Alison is sweet and believeable without being mawkish and the other female leads, with the exception of Lisa, get plenty to do. I'd say they've gone out on a high. ... More


Posted by MusicLovesYou at 14:38, 28 May 2012 \| Report This Post



An Underwhelming Experience
As I have not been an avid viewer of the show for any extended period of time, I wasn't sure whether I'd find anything to enjoy in this movie. I had been told, however, that it was not necessary to like the show in order to enjoy the film. I'm sure for some people this is true, but most definitely not for me. The film is a poorly written mess, and although there are some scenes and gags that are, frankly, brilliantly funny, the run time does not justify the ratio of hits to misses, which is wild... More


Posted by blaud at 11:30, 23 January 2012 \| Report This Post



RE: The Inbetweeners Movie
L: Rgirvan44 It was interesting how they didn't fall back on the old stuff. Gilbert gets one scene, the word clunge is never uttered. ndeed. Even Neil's dad didn't get bad mouthed too much I don't think? On that note though I was a little disappointed - I'm sure I read somewhere that a running joke of the series was settled once and for all - I hoped it was going to be proper evidence of Neil's dad's sexuality!The 'kids toilet' made up for it though... ... More

Posted by Super Hans at 17:30, 28 December 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: The Inbetweeners Movie
It was interesting how they didn't fall back on the old stuff. Gilbert gets one scene, the word clunge is never uttered. ... More

Posted by Rgirvan44 at 17:21, 28 December 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: The Inbetweeners Movie
Finally got round to watching this as my wife received it as a Christmas present. Considering the mixed reviews and the fact that TV to film doesn't always work well, I thought it was a very good effort. The humour was pretty much as you'd expect - very much like a long TV episode. Very funny stuff, probably better than much of series 3, where the joke seemed to wearing thin in many ways. ... More

Posted by Super Hans at 17:10, 28 December 2011 \| Report This Post



suckfest
Don't know the series. Watching the film now. The fact that I'm writing this review halfway through out of boredom doesn't bode well for it. It's moronic swearing with light giggles throughout. 4 stars Empire? Really? How many muffins were in that gift basket? ... More


Posted by xpialidoceous at 11:31, 22 December 2011 \| Report This Post



Hmm
The first 2 series were brilliant. The 3rd series was average. The film was just pretty rubbish! Will was the only person who saved this for me. ... More


Posted by guysalisbury at 11:04, 21 December 2011 \| Report This Post



Very poor
I think there was one funny scene in the whole movie. I love the show and this was a real let down. I was hoping for young ones meets porkies and instead I got an episode of hollyoaks with swearing in it. ... More


Posted by spilsburt at 17:36, 18 December 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Just awful
L: J_BUltimatum Quite possibly one of the most pointless films ever made. Pretty much un-original, un-funny and ridiculously boring. They should have just made this a straight to DVD outing. All I have to say is thank god they won't make any more! sp; Your last line suggests that you don't like the Inbetweeners franchise at all. So why bother going to see the movie? ... More

Posted by narmour at 09:23, 14 December 2011 \| Report This Post



Comedy Film of the Year
Way Better Than The Hangover Part 2 ... More


Posted by Ciaran McDaid at 10:42, 25 October 2011 \| Report This Post



The Inbetweeners Movie: Review
The Inbetweeners Movie is a fantastic film. It has a great story, great cast and there are so many funny moments in this film. I swear most of the film I was just laughing the whole way through, it was that funny. I love the Inbetweeners show and so to see the show put into the movie and on the big screen was brilliant. This is definitely the funniest film I've seen so far this year. I would recommend to go see this film. ... More


Posted by Edward9630 at 17:25, 02 October 2011 \| Report This Post



JUST VERY FUNNY MOVIE !
Just very, funny movie (A MUST SEE MOVIE) ... More


Posted by soulfood at 19:55, 01 October 2011 \| Report This Post



laugh a minute
classic film. had me crying with laughter in places. well worth a watch. enjoy....... ... More


Posted by HERMES_67 at 22:59, 16 September 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Great
This was ok.It starts well then ends a mess. It simply runs out of pace and writing and goes for the juvenile cliched gags. 2 stars. ... More

Posted by thetruth at 16:09, 04 September 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Great
I completely loved this film, but like someone said earlier in the thread, the scene with Simon selling his clothes was awful, no one's that stupid. Still, I laughed my head off for most of it. ... More


Posted by ak1990 at 13:57, 01 September 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Great
There was so many jokes going on in the background while another joke being made in the foreground. I'll have to watch it again. Probably have a series marathon followed by the movie when it comes out on DVD :D ... More

Posted by _hank_scorpio_ at 12:32, 01 September 2011 \| Report This Post



Great
Although the inbetweeners movie feels like an extended episode and the humour is not for everyone, there is alot to praise about the movie as a realistic portrayal of teenagers and that the jokes are many and fast. Fans couldnt have hoped for better film. ... More


Posted by trainedasninja at 11:11, 01 September 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Laugh-free, dull, repetitive...
EDIT: LOL I've already commented in here why did I do so again? ... More

Posted by Piles at 22:12, 31 August 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Bloody brilliant!
It was a fantastic film. Reminded me so much of my mates and us when we were that age. That's what teenagers are really like. And it will go down as one of the greatest British comedies ever. It did break the Box Office record already didn't it? Well I enjoyed it. ... More

Posted by _hank_scorpio_ at 16:02, 31 August 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Bloody brilliant!
L: Piles Saw it earlier. It was okay. sp; ^ This ... More

Posted by jcthefirst at 13:01, 31 August 2011 \| Report This Post



The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners Movie is pretty much a half a series or so of the sitcom on a bigger screen and there's nothing to complain about there. This is the end of the franchise and that is a good thing as it hasn't outstayed its welcome It's crude, rude and tasteless but it's also good hearted. As pompous, gormless, obnoixous or patheic as Will, Neil Jay and Simon may be you can't help but like them. You want them to do well even as you enjoy their constant humiliatons and there's plenty of tho... More


Posted by Scruffybobby at 10:10, 29 August 2011 \| Report This Post



Filmed in-between high seasons?
Overall this is enjoyable (the speech at the end of the school year from the head of 6th form is just superb.) And very funny - at first. It seems to lose pace in the middle as the imperfect transition from 25 minute episode to feature length film bites. A very poor ending as well, as if they just though 'Enough material here' and gave up. Anyone familiar with Magaluf will notice much of the film was filmed in Magaluf and not Malia (despite the obvious crude attempts to claim otherwise eg 'I Lov... More


Posted by filmsunlimited at 10:14, 27 August 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Laugh-free, dull, repetitive...
Thought this would be at more than 2 pages given how huge its first week had been. Anyway, it's the defintion of a 3 star movie. Liking the show is understandably mandatory, and the film pretty much dies on its arse about halfway through when the writers realise they have to accomodate a feature length story. But I did laugh quite a few times. One odd thing that annoyed me: the sound mixing. Apart from the dialogue everything was so quiet, even in the clubs. No sense of place or atmo... More

Posted by hatebox at 00:41, 27 August 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Bloody brilliant!
It’s pretty much as feared: while Channel 4’s ‘The Inbetweeners’ series delivers plenty of laughs in quick fire half-hour spurts(or so a lot will tell you), it fails miserably as big-screen comedy. If i wanted to watch a load of juvenile delinquents, swearing, being vile and getting into all manner of scrapes i can do that on any given Friday or Saturday night. Hell why don't i just take a hand held with me and fly over to Crete and film myself a pack of party-goers 'havin a laff' promote it ... More

Posted by Roykfrapp at 19:39, 26 August 2011 \| Report This Post



RE: Bloody brilliant!
Saw it earlier. It was okay. ... More

Posted by Piles at 21:51, 25 August 2011 \| Report This Post



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