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The Internship (2013)
The Internship (2013)
The Internship pairs Vince Vaughn with Owen Wilson again for the first time since Wedding Crashers (2005). Why is this relevant? It is relevant because Wedding Crashers grossed over $285,000,000 worldwide and was a huge success and a hilarious movie. Filmmakers hoped that Vaughn and Wilson together again in the same film would help them to repeat their previous success. It has already been 8 years since the release of Wedding Crashers.
I think that a movie like The Internship would have been a much bigger hit if it had been made 5 or 6 years ago when the main characters were still in their prime. As it turns out, The Internship lost money.
My gut feeling before watching this movie was that it was going to be a big disappointment. It looked funny, but not very.
The film is a comedy about two best friends (Vaughn and Wilson) who lose their jobs as salesman. They manage to get internship positions at Google, but they are forced to compete against younger, much more qualified computer nerds for a chance at employment.
The movie was written by Vince Vaughn and Jared Stern and directed by Shawn Levy. The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Rose Byrne, Aasif Mandvi, Max Minghella, John Goodman, Josh Gad, Rob Riggle, Will Ferrell, B.J. Novak, Gary Anthony Williams, and Tiya Sircar.
Vaughn and Wilson showed a similar comedic chemistry to what they had in Wedding Crashers, except that they were not as funny as they could have been.
I think that the PG-13 rating was what ruined this movie. Wilson and Vaughn do better in movies where they are allowed to get away with more craziness and crudeness. Vaughn is fast-talking and witty and he is a lot funnier and thrives when his dialogue is not limited. Wilson responds to Vaughn’s wittiness with his own charm, but if Vaughn is not allowed to be funny then it makes their banter incomplete. The filmmakers tried too hard to reach a wider audience with the PG-13 rating, but ultimately this sacrificed too many laughs and the result was bone dry humor.
The movie is very formulaic. It is very predictable. It’s funny, but mostly stupid funny. Some of the dialogue is clever, but some is also pretty cheesy. Sometimes it’s wholesome and sometimes it’s cheap. The Internship is entertaining enough as long as your expectations aren’t too high.
The film was a cross between Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) and Old School (2003) without the raunchiness and the big laughs. It’s a good time that you don’t have to think about too much. For Vaughn and Wilson, this movie is a step down and a step back from the comedies that we are used to seeing them in.
I rate this movie a 6 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
Due Date (2010)
Due Date (2010)
Due Date engulfed me in laughter. It was one hysterical moment after another. Just when I thought I could not laugh any longer, I giggled and then laughed harder and longer than before.
The film is a sort of new-age Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987). Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) is leaving Atlanta and trying to return to his nearly birthing wife (Michelle Monaghan) in Los Angeles. Everything is going smoothly until Peter bumps into Ethan (Zach Galifianakis). Peter ends up stuck traveling across the country with Ethan desperately trying to be in the delivery room when his baby arrives.
The chemistry and timing between Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis is hysterical. The way that their personalities play off of each other is brilliant. Robert Downey Jr. brings a slick, suave, seriousness to his character and Galifianakis is everything but. The duo was a perfect casting match. I think that this movie is easily my favorite Robert Downey Jr. movie and could be the best movie that Zach Galifianakis is in.
Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis, Danny McBride, RZA, Matt Walsh, and Todd Phillips all have small cameo-like appearances.
The humor is clever and raunchy and about everything else in between. But, it is all mostly just well-crafted. The writers: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedman, Adam Sztykiel, and Todd Phillips, took a very basic idea for a story and screenplay and let their imaginations run wild.
Due Date is directed by Todd Phillips. He continues his trend of directing and being a part of hilarious movies. I didn’t realize that he also directed The Hangover (2009), The Hangover Part II (2011), The Hangover Part III (2013), School for Scoundrels (2006), Starsky and Hutch (2004), Old School (2003), and Road Trip (2000) among others. That is a heck of a comedy resume! If you liked any of those movies, than you will definitely like Due Date.
If you have not seen this movie, I implore you to do so. It is available to rent on Netflix, or just go out and buy it. It is not currently available at the Redbox. I have probably seen it 5 times now and it was highly amusing every time. You will not be disappointed.
I rate this movie a 9.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? BUY!
If you liked Due Date (2010), then you might enjoy Identity Thief (2013).
Note: I did you a favor by only posting the teaser trailer for this movie. The full-length preview shows way too much.
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