Director: Shawn Levy.
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Aasif Mandvi.
Running Time: 119 minutes.
Certificate: 12A.
Synopsis: Two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment.
THE INTERNSHIP director Shawn Levy has given us the likes of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM and the underrated DATE NIGHT, so when heading to this Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson buddy comedy, you have a notion of what to expect. Beyond some initial doubts and a somewhat predictable turn of events, THE INTERNSHIP is surprisingly charming and a little more invigorating than recent comedies.
We start in the lives of Billy McMahon (Vince Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Owen Wilson), wristwatch salesmen working for John Goodman’s stereotypical boss figure. But just as they’re setting up a big deal, they’re told that the company has folded and with it, their jobs and livelihood, dumped by the analogue world as the digital era reigns supreme. As they scuttle around looking for new jobs, Billy has a spark of thought and convinces Nick to join him in applying for an internship at tech giants, Google. Through various methods of bending the truth and shedding personal self-doubt, they fully enrol in the summer Google internship based at their HQ in San Francisco. Once here, they hook up with some seemingly socially inept kids and try to win themselves permanent jobs. However, they’re up against a gang led by the snobbish Max Minghella as Graham Hawtrey, a kid who couldn’t more be arrogant and self-centered if he tried.
Some audiences might be against the unsubtle Google-led advertising that served as a pre-cursor to this film, but there’s more to THE INTERNSHIP than that. Yes, it’s an easy selling point and yes, Google probably own the world (in many senses), but it feels logical enough to link the old and the new. It has an understated nod to classic 80s flicks and the new ‘geeks rule the world’ generation. This vehicle is the perfect selling point for Vaughn and Wilson as their chemistry is wonderful, and you’ll find yourself drawn into this unanticipated world of charisma and genuine feeling. Throw in some upcoming young talent as co-stars and the beautiful Rose Byrne as love interest, Dana, and you’ll still enjoy it beyond the obvious plot holes.
THE INTERNSHIP is far from being perfect, but you know what you’re getting, and Shawn Levy and his team also know what they’re selling. It doesn’t quite have the Judd Apatow edge that’s been so successful recently, but the unexpected humble nature is what makes it appealing. A special mention must go to an impressive nightclub set piece that holds many laugh-out-loud moments alongside an amusing underlying FLASHDANCE metaphor that simply works.
People will comment on this being a sequel to WEDDING CRASHERS (‘Google Crashers’), but it’s less hectic than that outing with its heart in just the right place. This story of connections and possibility will absolutely make you laugh and leave you in high spirits. In an age of paranoia regarding technology, it’s actually rather refreshing.
THE INTERNSHIP opens in the UK on July 4th.
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