A seven-strong group of Culchies trouped into Cineworld last night to catch the eagerly, vocally and almost painfully anticipated Inbetweeners Movie. Watching a favourite show move to the big screen is like awaiting the birth of your first born and anxiously hoping it’s not going to be ugly. ‘We’ve already made the buy in, now don’t let us down’ territory. We took our seats and waited for the months of tension to end.
Two hours later we had the answers to all of our questions. Did the big screen outing do the boys justice? Did we come away with a sense of closure? Can we even stand to write this while dealing with the developing sense of loss now that it’s over? It’s not easy loving pop culture, it only ever loves you back briefly.
From opening scene to closing credits we were back in the world of Jay, Simon, Neil and Will. Classic one-liners, personalities at odds, and the true sign of some quality Inbetweeners action… watching from behind your hands and laughing all the while.
We join the boys with some swiftly played scenes to set up where they are in their lives – nearing the end of their last term at Rudge Park Comprehensive - before the first audience-grabbing moment of Mr Gilbert’s end of school speech. Delivered in flawless Mr Gilbert style, it’s a reassuring indication that the script is just as good as anything we’ve previously seen on Channel 4, and then we’re off to the real action on the boy’s holiday in Malia, Greece.
With Simon having just been dumped by Carli, Neil happy to dry hump anything (as long as they’re not kissing, he’s not cheating on his girlfriend) and the other two still invariably single, the ‘Pussay Patrol’ (t-shirts and all) are on your average post-exam blowout full of “sun, sand, sex, sea and sex”. But, far from Kevin and Perry Go Large, thanks to the introduction of 4 ladies to play comic foil to their inevitable messy, flirty overtures, what plays out is actually rather heartwarming. Lucy, Jane, Lisa and Alison are introduced as the boys come onto them with the world’s cringiest dancing – a set piece to rule them all – and go on to win our hearts as the perfect numbers to play opposite Rudge Park Comp’s finest.
Well written to the last with set pieces, easy jokes, smarter jokes, one liners, visual gags, impeccable casting and an all-round good send off for the lads that will leave even the most hardcore fan satisfied, this is one that has to be seen.
Keep an eye out for Richard, the perfectly played that-random-mental-loner-guy-that-you-always-meet-on-your-holidays guy.
