CliqueClackThe Internship is a by-the-numbers comedy
‘The Internship’ has a few laughs here and there, but it’s quite forgettable and way too invested in what it thinks are cutting edge technological jokes … and serves as a feature-length piece of product placement.
Nobody wants to feel useless. Nor do they want to be left behind as the world moves forward. But it’s not easy for everyone to keep up, especially with the rapid way things tend to change these days. Conversely, someone working towards ends they truly believe in tends to be a bit more fulfilled and happy with their life. But how often does that happen? And when it does, are there true, legitimate sacrifices to be considered? This movie addresses this concern briefly and then immediately discards it in pursuit of additional hijinks.
The Internship can best be described as a watered-down Wedding Crashers meets a two hour commercial for the Google corporation. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson return in extremely similar roles, adults out of place with childish sentimentalities who need to grow up. This time they play Billy and Nick, high-end watch salesmen that are fired as their employer goes out of business, and realize that they are woefully unprepared for the new world of technology and employment. After some dated jokes about computer usage and webcams, the two manage to get on a Google internship, normally meant for those just out of college, primarily because they are so unlike anyone else applying. Naturally it’s time for an old-fashioned contest at Google; the team of wacky, mismatched interns with individual and simplified character arcs that wins the contest gets jobs at the company. And of course, Billy and Nick are stuck with the “losers,” three smart but odd youths: extremely socially repressed Yo-Yo (Tobit Raphael), overcompensating Neha (Tiya Sicar), and overly cynical Stuart (Dylan O’Brien). Led by young and also odd Google manager Lyle (Josh Brener), they must not only impress the judge (Aasif Mandvi) but overcome nonsensically villainous Graham (Max Minghella) and shoehorned in romantic subplots with Rose Byrne and Jessica Szohr. So they’ve got a lot of work to do, and there are only so many Google references and sycophantic overtures that can be made before the credits (designed by Google) are rolled.
The movie isn’t unfunny; there are more than a few legitimate laughs to be found, and a smidgen of real character moments. But it just seems like a rehash of “childish adults needing to grow up by helping young people do the same,” coupled with a ludicrously unbelievable bunch of romantic subplots. Honestly, Rose Byrne is a waste here. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are doing decent work here, but the comedic lines don’t always meet the high standard they set for themselves. The various young actors are pretty good too, given different degrees of nonsense to deal with; the problem with this movie is that it doesn’t quite know whether it should be a dramedy or a slapstick comedy (something that Wedding Crashers also had issues with), and basically goes in the most predictable ways imaginable. The question for any moviegoer is whether or not you can deal with the blatant advertising and dull storyline and enjoy the funnier lines and decent acting here and there.
Although I have to say, I appreciate that the computing references were pretty up to date, even if the comedy itself is ten years old. Sometimes it’s the little things you most appreciate.
