3 stars
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.
Cast: Vince Vaughn (Billy McMahon), Owen Wilson (Nick Campbell), Rose Byrne (Dana), Max Minghella (Graham Hawtrey), Aasif Mandvi (Mr. Chetty), Josh Brener (Lyle), Dylan O’Brien (Stuart), Tobit Raphael (Yo-Yo Santos), Tiya Sircar (Neha) and Jessica Szohr (Marielena).
Filmmakers: Shawn Levy – Director / Producer, Vince Vaughn – Writer (screenplay) (story) / Producer, Jared Stern – Writer (screenplay), Jonathan Brown – Cinematographer, Christophe Beck – Composer, Tom Meyer – Production Designer, Dean Zimmerman – Editor
119 Minutes
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, some crude humor, partying and language
Budget: $58 million
Opening Weekend Gross: $18 million
I never expect great things from comedies, especially summer comedies. But there were two things that caught my eye in the trailer for THE INTERNSHIP, (1) The little snippet of Thrift Shop and (2) “pound me”…”c’mon bro fist me, get up in there.” That prompts two side notes. First, I love the Thrift Shop song – and that was before it was all over the radio. And second, I love dirty comedies. But when I was standing in line waiting for tickets, I looked up and my heart sank…a PG-13 rating. But have no fear, there are still a few good laughs even though it trades strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language, or nudity for “sexuality, some crude humor, partying and language” (see previous rants on PG-13 vs. R Rated comedies: No Strings Attached, Dinner for Schmucks, Crazy Stupid Love, The Sitter).
Let’s get down to business. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson team up again but this time they aren’t crashing weddings, they’re crashing Google. When forced to retire from selling pricey watches, they somehow land an internship at Google. Ok…this could get boring pretty quick so here ya go: they are awkward, no one wants to be on their “team”, they pretty much stink with computers, and *dun, dun, dun* no one thinks they are going to win the job. Add in a romantic crush in the form of Rose Bryne. And you can’t forget about the bully, Max Minghella. You know the drill.
If you are a frequent movie-goer or have seen a movie, I don’t know, in the past 6 months then you have seen the trailer for THE INTERNSHIP. And being a comedy, it pretty much boils down to, were all the jokes in the movie given away in the trailer. I don’t think the movie was a great offender, besides the trailer reeled me in. While THE INTERNSHIP certainly offers the typical Hollywood bromance, the movie offers a little bit more. The supporting cast is great and without Vaughn and Owen’s teammembers, the movie would have been lackluster (or if there wasn’t that little trip to the strip club). Oh and Rose Byrne is her normal wonderful self. If anything, her talents are a little wasted.
Sidebar: Where did that $58 million go? Are Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn’s name really worth that much? Oh and the movie could have been 30 minutes leaner.
Overall Recommendation: If you’re in the mood for a few good laughs then go see THE INTERNSHIP. And if anything, experiencing the theatre atmosphere will add to the laughs.
The Verdict: Movie
