Ignoring the Mid-Morning Matters online mini-series a couple of years ago, which were largely unimpressive, Alan Partridge hasn’t really been seen since 2002 on the series I’m Alan Partridge, now Steve Coogan has brought his legendary character back and this time it’s for the big screen in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa. It’s fair to say TV shows rarely translate very well into films, yet there’s a growing trend within TV that shows that have ended should have movies made about them, mostly to mixed-negative opinions – Keith Lemon in particularly spectacularly bombing at the box office, but there was a feeling that Coogan would break the mould, that he was smarter than the others, and he’d be able to make a story that worked for Partridge – and luckily for all of us, he did.
We see that Alan’s life is pretty much the same as where it left off, he’s still working at North Norfolk Digital, Lynn (Felicity Montagu) is still his ever faithful assistant, and Michael (Simon Greenall), our favourite Geordie is now working as a security guard at Alan’s station. Alan is content with his life, he seems to have accepted this is where he will be now. But when a multi-national conglomerate buy-out the station, re-branding it as Shape in the process, the two eldest presenters, Alan and his friend Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney) are the two up for the chop. While Alan manages to keep his job, Pat is let go, who returns to take the station hostage during a station party. Alan soon becomes the face of the siege as Pat will only talk to Alan. Alan, who’s ego has always ruled his head, sees this as a chance to make a name for himself again – much to Lynn’s frustrations. As the Siege comes to a climatic end, can Alan use this as an opportunity to get his glory years back before it all goes pair shaped?
This is a fantastic comedy with hints of action/crime mixed in for good effect. Joining our hero Coogan, as well as some recognisable faces, are some up and coming comedians in Tim Key, returning as Sidekick Simon from the Mid-Morning Matters series and Dustin Demri-Burns (who isn’t in the film enough for my liking) from the hit sketch series and duo Cardinal Burns. Colm Meaney, an actor who always gets good roles, but isn’t celebrated enough, goes toe to toe with Coogan as the deranged and disgruntled aging DJ Pat Farrell.
I’m Alan Partridge is a comedy that a generation grew up on, one of the biggest comedies of it’s time and a show who’s fans worship at the altar of Coogan/Patridge. For Coogan, it was important to stay true to his Partridge character, while helping him translate to the big screen. Keeping a nice balance between film and TV, and he really manages to do this, not something a lot of TV shows achieve. While the story is on a bigger scale, you still feel like you’re watching I’m Alan Partridge. Coogan resisted going too extreme, deciding instead to keep it in the family. It’s believable to think everything that happens in the film is exactly the way Partridge would let things play out, making a joke out of every situation, trying to make it work for his own personal gain, it’s Alan Partridge through and through. And I like the message to all Radio stations about becoming a brand rather than a station, all playing the same music and ruining good unique radio, something the world is seeing all too much of at the moment.
While it was nice to re-visit the Partridge character again, there’s always a worry that too much will ruin what we remember, that it’ll stray too far from the reasons we fell in love in the first place and that (especially for a film) it will become too mainstream, trying to please everyone. Thankfully, Coogan manages to remain relatively true to Alan. There have been some cries of the Partridge character losing his way, but Steve Coogan is Alan Partridge, he’s become more than a character to him, he’s become an alter ego that surfaces from time to time, if Coogan says Partridge will say or do something, then that’s the way it is, no arguments.
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is one for the fans who adore I’m Alan Partridge and the Partridge character in general, and while those who are unfamiliar to the name might struggle to enjoy some of the jokes, there’s still enough in there to make you enjoy the film, and it might even make you want to watch the series.
Rating: Coogan hasn’t lost his charm playing our hapless hero (7/10).
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