REVIEW – The Inbetweeners 2, More Fun Than We Could Have Imagined

Let's be fair, small screen shows that have moved to the big screen haven't exactly had the best history. In terms of moving a series to the big screen, you really have to have a good fan base who will follow the characters to the big screen. Outside of that, it is very difficult to appeal to people who may not be familiar with the series or the characters that are loved by the fans. Take for instance Sex and the City which not only managed to slightly irk fans with its time on cinema screens, it also alienated a lot of people who could have possibly become fans of the genius original series with one mediocre film and one incredibly racist and badly written sequel. Interestingly, even though it really could have fallen into this bracket of being difficult to bring to the big screen, the Inbetweeners has not only managed to stay true to its current fan base but also win over those that might not be as familiar with the show. Within just three short series, the Inbetweeners perfectly captured the confusion and difficulties of being slight outsiders in school, winning BAFTAs and British Comedy awards and the hearts of an extremely loyal fan base. Add to that the success of the first Inbetweeners film and Bwark Films, the production company created by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris who wrote the show, and these four guys just managed to become serious big screen stars. Like the first film, the second Inbetweeners movie takes place after the boys have finished school. Will, Neil and Simon are now in college but are not exactly living the college life that they expected. When they receive news that Jay is living the dream out in Australia, the trio decide they are going to pay him a surprise visit and do some "travelling." However, when they arrive Down Under they discover that Jay is far from living the dream and instead lives in a tent outside his Uncle's house while working in the toilets of a night club. As luck would have it, Will runs into an old school friend and manages to convince the other three to set off across Australia to Byron Bay, mainly in pursuit of a girl named Katie. When they reach the Bay, the other boys discover Jay's real reason for being in Australia and so set off to help him complete his mission. But, of course, not everything goes exactly to plan. Although just as crass and smutty as the last film, the Inbetweeners 2 is actually far more entertaining than we could have imagined. There are at least three sequences in the film that had the audience in convulsions of laughter and even though some of the humour is lowest common denominator, it is very difficult to not like it or even laugh out loud. This is mainly down to the amazing characters that Beesley and Morris have created and their character development over the years. Although the Inbetweeners was mainly focused around the school period initially, they have managed to grow the characters realistically over the years without stressing them to the point of being unrelatable. The performances are again strong, particularly James Buckley plays Jay. We can guarantee you, you will laugh more than once at this. It's not going to change your life but it is certainly a lot of fun.