The Inbetweeners 2 crashed into cinemas just a couple of days ago across the UK and it’s fair to say it’s just as funny as the first but perhaps lacking a little in story.
Directed this time around by creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, we join Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas), Neil (Blake Harrison) hanging out in Bristol for the weekend. Simon and Neil visiting Will at University when they realise it’s all a little boring and their lives haven’t moved on all that much. Jay (James Buckley) on the other hand appears to be having the time of his life on his gap year in Australia and invites the lads out to join him, which they decide is a great idea. In true Jay fashion though, he has bullshitted about absolutely everything but now the group are back together and stuck out there together, so they decide to make the most of it and travel through the country. Will runs into an old friend and as per usual finds her attractive which brings out the awkward, cringe worthy Will we all know. Simon is stuck in an abusive relationship with Lucy (Tamla Kari), his holiday romance from the previous film who turns out to be not so sweet afterall. Jay is ‘having the time of his life’ now he’s single again, but there’s more to the story than meets the eye and Neil is just living in his usual own little Neil world. Of course with a whole new country to take on, alcohol to be consumed and the combustibility of the friendships, it isn’t soon before the group pick up right where they left off with trouble and awkwardness galore!
The Inbetweeners 2 definitely follows the mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The second outing for the unlucky lads follows the blueprints of the first. There’s a pretty, unlikable, unattainable girl with whom one of the group chases all over like a love-sick puppy. She only has eyes for the 6 foot something douchebag who torments said member of the group. Jay acts like a sex god when infact he’s just a horny little hamster. Neil just continues to be naive to the ways of the world and believes everything Jay feeds him and Simon is the hilarious petulant child. It does feel a little light with the story and there could have been more to drive the boys this time around, but you can forgive it lacking in that department because there’s enough laughs and sick humour to please fans of the series, with the record-breaking first day release (breaking its own previous record) proving that there’s life in the old girl yet.
And that’s the interesting point, where does the franchise go from here? Simon Bird made a recent comment at the films première to suggest that this film is the final nail in the coffin for The Inbetweeners stating: “Once you see the film you’ll see it feels like they’ve all moved on with their lives, so unfortunately this is it. it’s a great way to say goodbye,” but you don’t get that impression, it didn’t really feel like goodbye because you don’t feel that closure, which suggests the door is always open to revisit the group. Yes, they’re not quite ‘Inbetweeners’ anymore with some of them approaching 30 in real life, but the story has evolved now, and we can certainly see (and hope for) a reunion of some sorts in a few years to time.
Rating: Fans who just want laughs won’t leave disappointed but fans looking for a bite more substance this time round possibly might. That’s not to take anything away, and it could well go down as the funniest comedy of the year, at the very least if the numbers stay strong (which they probably will) the most successful, (7/10)
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