Movie Review: The Internship

“I reckon this will be like the cinematic equivalent of a hot dog.” This is the standout quote I heard from a fellow film-buff a few rows down as he inhaled yet another of the free hot dogs that were so kindly laid on at the screening of The Internship. Whilst I’m certain he meant for the phrase to be a witty and highbrow scathing review of the film by likening it to the cheap and cheerful [and sometimes unidentified hot dog meat] someone quickly replied to him, “But…I like hot dogs?” All these hot dog analogies and the film hasn’t even begun, although it may be quite a fair comparison.

The Internship features Vince Vaughn as Billy and Nick played by Owen Wilson. Two salesmen whose careers have been overthrown by the digital world. Trying to prove they are not obsolete, they defy the odds by talking their way into a coveted internship at Google, along with a battalion of brilliant college students. But, gaining entrance to this utopia is only half the battle. Now they must compete with a group of the nation’s most elite, tech-savvy geniuses to prove that necessity really is the mother of re-invention.

So, that is basically the gist of the film and without revealing too much more I reckon you could guess quite easily what’s going to happen for our two funny guys- because I did right away. Here lies the problem with these kinds of American comedies: They are so bullet-pointed in a formulaic layout to mix good old fashioned American Dream morals and dreams with a good laugh that the audience can easily figure out the plot.

The film is filled with laughs, as expected thanks to the charismatic actors that do well with their overstretched protagonist roles. Whilst there are some genuine laughs- geeky kids, Flashdance references and some great to-and-fro between Vaughn and Owen, it is at times embarrassing. The Internship wants viewers to believe that nobody over the age of 35 knows what the internet is, that everyone who is tech-savvy is a ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ of some description and even more embarrassingly it gives the promise that anyone can exceed in an internship regardless of talent so long as they’re good people with a bit of determination. If only eh? 

I did enjoy watching The Internship – it’s heart-warming, funny and quite glossy to watch on screen. It was just a little too conventional – like they wrote it from the how-to guide of comedy. A meanie who gets his come-uppance? Check. Good guys down on their luck but always looking on the Brightside? Check. Cultural-refs and nods to the audience by the dozen? Check.

No twists and turns, no shocking end but pretty delightful nonetheless- you know what you’re getting- which is pretty similar to the culinary delights of a hot dog.