Starring: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne

Genre: ‘Comedy’

Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Wilson) are two middle aged salesman of the more traditional nature that find themselves unemployed due to the advancement of technology and people buying online. Billy manages to somehow (despite their age and lack of obvious relevant knowledge) get them both highly coveted internships at Google. When they join they are of course by far the oldest people there and if they are to get those jobs, and when everyone is forced to form into groups they have to team up with a clichéd group of conflicting caricatures. Now Billy and Nick must lead this group relying on their old school tactics against tech savvy nerds half their age, and of course, much hilarity ensues (!).

Wedding Crashers! Wedding Crashers! Wedding Crashers!

Apparently Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson were in a film called Wedding Crashers and all the marketing nonsense of The Internship will not let us forget that. In my view, Wedding Crashers was a genuinely funny film; however there seems to be an overlying complacent approach to The Internship that seems to believe that simply reuniting the two leads from Wedding Crashers equals comedy gold, duping the innocent general public into parting with their hard earned money and serious profit for the producers.

There is no denying that Vaughn and Wilson share obvious chemistry, but their performance and the lacklustre script in my view demonstrate unforgiveable complacency from all involved in the making of The Internship. This is a ‘comedy’ that follows all the text book narrative developments of the genre and the characters in their group are all a clichéd group of misfits whose conflicting personalities will surely produce great comedy? Well, they are likeable characters and all give solid performances, and all the clichés and predictable narrative developments are all forgivable if the film is genuinely funny. However, the writers seem to think that having all these components in place and a couple of actors who were apparently in a film called Wedding Crashers (but they do not like to mention that) but are on serious auto pilot means the comedy will write itself.

Well, this complacent and lazy attitude from all involved means that for me The Internship is just about watchable, but the whole two hours (!) just go by and are not only extremely forgettable, but produce no genuine laughs.  This is an apparent comedy that is simply not funny. At all.

Maybe this in fact is a drama more than a comedy? Possibly, as there are some topical elements in the narrative we can all relate to, but again there is not enough edge or effort for this to be a good drama. Drama or comedy, there is an element of lazy effortless mediocrity that dominates the entire narrative of The Internship.

Everything is in place for a generic, but enjoyable comedy, but it is just not funny. For me, The Internship is by no means a terrible film; it is just about watchable with characters to root for, but there are just no laughs. Vaughn and Wilson are certainly out acted by the more enthusiastic younger cast around them, as they complacently and lazily seem happy to play versions of themselves and pick up their huge pay cheques.

Oh, and it has to be mentioned: The Internship is basically a massive and cynical advert for Google.

The Internship serves as another depressing and irritating reminder of Hollywood’s complacent attitude to comedy. With an initial potential it is another wasted opportunity that is as frustrating as it is boring, with two lead actors that seem to think being in the film is enough.

4/10