Tag: review

The Internship Movie

The Internship Movie

Director: Shawn Levy
Running time: 119 minutes
ScreenplayVince Vaughn, Jared Stern

the internship

If you like silly comedy and don’t mind your movies a little (okay, a lot) formulaic, The Internship is the movie for you. It is a fun ride – the packed, extra-large cinema was filled with people roaring with laughter. Just the ticket on a cold winter’s night.

Responding to criticism that the movie is a two-hour advertisement for Google, Vaughn says, “yes, you get a peek behind the chocolate factory, but it’s really about wanting to start over, and I wanted to pick an industry that authentically felt like there was a future there.”

internship google

The movie has not done very well critically and I can’t say I’m surprised; it’s no Argo. It’s true, as one critic writes, that the comedy relies heavily on the actors’ easy interplay with each other. However, damn it’s funny!

The Internship tells the story of Billy McMahon (Vaughn) and Nick Campbell (Wilson) who are gung-ho watch salesmen, suddenly out of a job as the American economy swallows up another small business and the trade of door to door sales diminishes under the weight of the digital world. They wiggle their way into an internship at Google, surrounded by dozens of high-achieving young techies, all vying for a few coveted spots at the end of a series of team challenges. Along the way is the inevitable and – if like me you’re a fan – hilarious Will Ferrell cameo.

What happens next is entirely predictable, in that Vaughn/Wilson formula of sweet and light funny, with Rose Byrne providing a love interest and several new young actors getting some time in the sun, including Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Tiya Sircar, Josh Brener, and Tobit Raphael (fresh out of acting school). Keep an eye out for the guy in the nap pod who complains about the noise; he is the director of the film, Shawn Levy.

dylan o'brien
Dylan O’Brien

Mashable interviewed a real intern and reports that the Google office (the interior was recreated for the movie at Georgia Institute of Technology) is just like the real thing. It’s fascinating getting a good look inside. If this is the business model of our kids’ future work places, the future is looking bright. But then again, that’s exactly why the movie is getting so much Googly flack: it really is a big Google ad in that respect.

Yes this is a family movie for the over 13 year olds. Something for everyone.

If you’re a Generation Xer, this film will appeal as it brings the eighties crashing into the present with many Flashdance references. It works. The kids are also going to love it. Dylan O’Brien is being watched by the teenage girls right now (I asked my 17-year-old daughter) and the whole Google thing will fascinate those soon to be heading out onto the big wide and increasingly scary world of job hunting.

the internship bicycle google

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