The Inbetweeners Movie (Review)

The third guy’s head looks like a rhombus. Yay photoshop?

I know nothing about the TV series of the same name. I guess it takes the same four characters from this film and restricts them to more banal fare in and around their homes.

I enjoyed the film version for what it was, but nonetheless don’t think I’ll be putting the DVD box set on my Christmas list for 2012. That’s not to say that this is a poor film – far from it – it’s just that it happens to be a pretty good example of a film in a genre that I am officially over. The horny teens on holiday sex comedy.

Neil, Simon, Jay and Will have finished school for good, and plan to celebrate with a two week ‘mental holiday’ (mental in terms of crazy, not refreshing the mind) to a Greek island, away from bullies, dickheads and their (legitimately) embarrassing parents. They even have some regrettably frank T shirts made up proclaiming them members of the Pussay Patrol.

They are at once recognisable as horny, lazy, awkward, horny, naïve and horny teen boys. They are also horny.

Here’s all you need to know about the foursome. Two are essentially ‘nice guys’, Simon has recently been dumped and is openly – and constantly – pining for his ex, Will is a nerd, knows he’s a nerd, knows that he doesn’t really belong, but that won’t stop him trying. (Will also narrates the flick and boasts a voice that I find all too aggravating and annoying.) The other two are more ‘lads’, Jay is your stereotypical ‘I’m gonna bang everything that moves – or at least talk about it in excruciating detail’ guy who is constantly on the pull, and Neil has prepped with a glorious fake tan for the trip, and has committed to not cheating on his back home girlfriend, unless of course the woman in question is plus 50, fat and just plain wrong.

Upon arriving in Greece the reality of the dream holiday soon takes hold, their classy hotel has 50 euro fines for floor defacation, Simon’s ex is also holidaying down the road, and there are apparently good-looking popular bullies overseas too.

Regardless, these are mere inconveniences for the foursome, and the holiday is off and running, with skirt-chasing, alcohol, stoushes, pranks, wholesale teenage male stupidity and altogether too much nudity (the too much reference means it is practically all of the male variety). Of course all the right girls aren’t interested and the wrong girls are all over the shop.

In conveniently cinematic fashion the very first bar that the gents decide to check out also has four female punters, luckier still the same four girls that they seem to run into with almost monotonous regularity regardless of where they are.

I was amazed at these lads ability to drink, it seemed that they were almost constantly imbibing glasses of pure alcohol, usually shooters, yet only twice does one of them lament their over-indulgence, and only once does it seem to result in the physical rejection of the offending alcohol.

The Inbetweeners movie isn’t really offensive, thankfully non-violent, and even though the gross bits are indeed gross you’d be silly to think they aren’t really going on all over the planet every weekend – though I’d question the thought process that justified walking around with a banknote jammed in your nether-regions for a fortnight.

Final Rating – 7 / 10. One of the better horny teen comedies in recent years. It might not have converted more or even piqued my interest enough to check out the TV series, but I got a few laughs out of proceedings, and at times the film hinted at something that suggested a sequel might be worth pursuing.

About OGR

While I try to throw a joke or two into proceedings when I can all of the opinions presented in my reviews are genuine. I don't expect that all will agree with my thoughts at all times nor would it be any fun if you did, so don't be shy in telling me where you think I went wrong... and hopefully if you think I got it right for once. Don't be shy, half the fun is in the conversation after the movie.
This entry was posted in Film, Movie Reviews, Worthwhile Movies. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.