The Internship: A Comedy of Errors or a Feel-Good Story?
"The Internship" presents a comedic take on the clash between old-school salesmanship and the tech-savvy world of Google. Starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, the film explores the journey of two downsized salesmen who attempt to reinvent themselves as Google interns. While some viewers find the movie an excellent comedy with a profound message, others criticize it as a lengthy Google product placement with a predictable plot. This article delves into the various aspects of "The Internship" to determine whether it's a must-see comedy or a tedious cinematic experience.
Plot Overview: From Salesmen to Interns
After old-school salesmen Billy McMahon (Vince Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson) find themselves downsized, Billy decides that, despite their complete lack of technological savvy, they should work for Google. The friends somehow manage to finagle internships at the Internet giant and promptly head out to Silicon Valley. When we first meet Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Wilson), they’re watch salesmen smooth-talking a store owner, only to be told that their company has shut down. Not knowing where to turn in an economy that won’t have them, they score an (unlikely) internship at Google, where they have to join a team of young social outcasts and compete against other teams of interns through a series of challenges - everything from a Quidditch match to designing a hot new app.
The unfeathered duo, filled with confident pep and spirit are summoned to a group of cynical nerdy oddballs named Stuart (Dylan O’Brien), Neha (Tiya Sircar), and Yo-Yo (Tobit Raphael ), and led by their supervisor Lyle (Josh Brener). Throughout the course of the summer they compete in group challenges like encrypting data, playing Quidditch, (Harry Potter plug) and learning how to take tech support phone calls (the most overt form of propaganda).
Vaughn and Wilson: A Familiar Duo
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, known for their roles in comedies like "Wedding Crashers," bring their familiar on-screen chemistry to "The Internship." We think of Vaughn and Wilson as some kind of established comedy duo, but, aside from cameos and bit parts, Wedding Crashers - eight years ago! - was the only movie in which they really worked together as a comedy team. (They were also in Starsky & Hutch, but that was more Wilson and Ben Stiller’s show.) Maybe that’s because they’re both variations on a similar type - the overconfident, all-American charmer - and thus more effective when cast next to dweeby everymen like Ben Stiller. But they do have different styles: Vaughn’s usually the imposing motormouth, while Wilson plays the soft, laid-back type.
Some argue that their dynamic works, with Vaughn as the imposing motormouth and Wilson as the laid-back charmer. Wedding Crashers exploited that difference for all it was worth, to hilarious results. However, others find their humor tired and predictable, suggesting that "The Internship" doesn't quite reach the level of hilarity expected from the duo.
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Google as a Character: Product Placement or Realistic Depiction?
One of the most discussed aspects of "The Internship" is its portrayal of Google. Your product is saved! Product placement in films has become the standard for company promotion that’s meant to be subliminal, or at least subtle. In The Internship, the latest comedic venture for director Shawn Levy, Google is both the product being placed (everywhere) and its headquarters the premises for the entire plot. The whole Google tie-in is definitely a little creepy. It’s not so much that the company is presented as the coolest place ever to work, what with its free commissary and its nap rooms and its fun, colorful campus; all that actually makes sense within the context of a story in which our heroes are desperate to land jobs there.
Some critics view the film as an extended commercial for Google, highlighting its products and portraying the company as a utopian workplace. There is, of course, no question of satire on tax avoidance: Google is sucked up to massively at all times; co-founder Sergey Brin gets a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo, and the chillingly heavy-handed deployment of the Google logo everywhere kills any question of comedy. Others argue that the depiction is realistic and serves as a backdrop for the story of personal growth and adaptation.
Humor and Heart: Finding the Balance
"The Internship" attempts to balance humor with heartfelt moments. As expected, Billy and Nick learn to bond with their young, dorky teammates, and everybody teaches everybody else a thing or two, and mild chuckles ensue. Occasionally, though, a bit of realism peeks through: There’s genuine pathos to Vaughn’s portrayal of a guy who has the social skills to sell anything, but finds himself out of step with the compulsive, tech-savvy world around him. You wish the film would do more with that, but, well, you’re looking in the wrong movie for true character development. The film depicts interactions between elderly people who are out of touch with technology and teenagers with little life experience, all seasoned with plenty of comedy regarding how both sides adapt.
The story, written by Vaughn and Jared Stern, forges a predictable path throughout the tandem’s hijinks and a spontaneous club scene, fighting the old duo’s narcissism with sentimentalism and positivity and some loosening alcohol. There’s just enough wisdom for these two to project onto their collegiate protégés and teammates, keeping the chemistry light before becoming overbearing. They act as camp counselors, Jack Blacks from School of Rock without the pre-ordained knowledge of their domain.
The film explores themes of intergenerational learning, with the older protagonists teaching the younger interns about life skills and the younger interns helping the older ones navigate the digital world. The movie, however, is not entirely devoid of redeeming qualities. Wilson and Vaughn’s rambling banter, though by no means sidesplitting, is charming and pleasantly entertaining. If you’re looking for a feel-good, mildly funny film you can put on for family movie night without the awkwardness of crude humor, this is the movie for you. However, if you plan to actually watch the movie, you’ll very likely find it to be bland, overdone, and humorous only in its disastrous failures at having any sort of believable plotline.
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However, some critics find the humor to be crude and the sentimentalism forced, detracting from the overall experience.
Criticisms and Praises: A Polarizing Film
"The Internship" has received mixed reviews, with some praising its feel-good message and comedic moments, while others criticize its predictable plot and excessive product placement. Con todo el perdón que se merece Owen Wilson, porque es de mis actores favoritos desde niña. Pero ésta es de sus peores películas, de verdad tenía expectativas altas, pero la trama es muy tediosa. No la recomendaría. Ni siquiera cumple su objetivo de entretener. Peter Bradshaw, Catherine Shoard and Henry Barnes review The Internship guardian.co.ukError Code 404: Laughs Not Found.
Don't pay any attention to the negative reviews here! This film is an excellent comedy and delivers everything it promised. An absolute MUST SEE comedy! Funny in 1 hour and 59 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Partying, Language, Sexuality and Some Crude Humor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fantastic feel good comedy. Classic Vaughn & Wilson.
Some viewers appreciate the film's lightheartedness and the chemistry between Vaughn and Wilson, while others find the plot uninspired and the humor lacking.
Maturity and Content: Is it Family Friendly?
"The Internship" is rated PG-13 for partying, language, sexuality, and some crude humor, which may influence viewers' decisions about whether it's appropriate for family viewing. Billy and Nick decide that their high-strung teammates (several of which are possibly not even of legal drinking age) need to unwind. So they try to take them to a dance club … which turns out to be a strip club. Women gyrate in lingerie throughout the lengthy scene. Yo-Yo receives three lap dances, and after each we see him in the bathroom drying off his pants. Billy’s advice? Wear two pairs of underwear next time, giving him props for his “reboot time.” Lyle, meanwhile, connects with a lingerie-wearing dancer who’s also taught dance lessons at Google, and the two become a couple.
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The film contains scenes with suggestive content, including a strip club visit and discussions of sexual topics. At first, Billy is living with a woman … who leaves him after he loses his job. Nick and Dana become a couple, and it’s implied that they spend the night together. (We see them kiss.) Billy and Nick are shown in bed together in a hotel room (though the film never suggests anything beyond their platonic friendship). Neha says of gay marriage, “Same-sex partners are excellent parents. Throughout, various crude and lewd references to all manner of sexual activity turn up. We hear (mostly jokes) about anal sex, group sex, manual stimulation, premature ejaculation, sexting, breast implants, penis size and testicles. Sammy brags about buying new breast implants for his wife, whose ridiculously enlarged bikini-clad physique is seen.
It also includes strong language and alcohol consumption. One f-word and about 25 s-words. “A‑‑” or “a‑‑hole” are used a combined 15 times. We hear “h‑‑‑” a dozen times, as well as “b‑‑ch” and “d‑‑n” about 10 times each. “D‑‑k” is said twice, “p‑‑‑y” once. A number of scenes revolve around drinking beer, wine and hard-liquor shots. At the strip club, everybody gets plastered. Among other things, they knock back tequila shots, with Billy and Nick coaching and prodding the sheltered Yo-Yo. The next morning, the younger interns are hung over, and one vomits in a bucket. Their group binge results in brainstorming an app to help keep people from drunk-texting and saying or doing something inappropriate.
Viewers should consider these elements when deciding whether the film is suitable for their viewing preferences.
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