The transition from small to big screen is never an easy one. Take Sex & the City, for example. What was once a provocative yet undeniably infectious show about the sex lives of four women from Manhattan was translated into two vapid film adaptations that failed to replicate the spark that made the series such a hit. It comes as great news then that The Inbetweeners Movie, based on the extremely provocative yet undeniably irresistible show about the sex lives (or rather, lack of) of four sixth form students, is just as hilarious and filthy-mouthed as its TV counterpart.
The perfect marriage of lewd acts and social embarrassment has always been one of the show’s milestones and it’s great to see that writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley are not holding back for their big-screen outing. The opening minutes set the tone perfectly, as Jay (James Buckley) is seen masturbating to sliced ham and wearing scuba goggles, just before his mum walks in to inform his grandfather has passed away. It’s the kind of comedy that induces belly laughs and makes you want to cover your eyes in shame.
From there on Jay, Simon, Will and Neil decide to celebrate the end of their exams by going on a trip of sexcapades and debauchery in Malia, Crete. To say their plans go tits up is putting it mildly. Excruciating dance moves, projectile vomiting, public nudity (there's no shortage of male genitalia in this film) and disastrous run-ins with exes all work towards 97 minutes of unadulterated juvenile humour. Special mention should also go out to Richard, a hysterical weirdo who pops in and out of the plot and is unbelievably even more of an outcast than the core quartet.
But surprisingly enough, Morris and Beesley also manage to sneak in a couple of poignant moments among the filth and crassness, but they never feel forced. Jay’s unusually kind offer to let a seriously drunk Will sleep in the comfy bed speaks volumes more than a “I love you, man!” snippet from your average American comedy, as is the scene in which the boys acknowledge that this holiday may be the last time the gang will hang out together.
The introduction of four female companions for the lads to inevitably end up with is admittedly a sweet touch, but somehow betrays the origins of the show. A huge part of the comedic appeal of these characters is that despite all the mishaps they had to endure, they never learnt their lesson by the end of each episode. Having them end the film reformed (well, almost) both morally and romantically feels a tad unnecessary and at odds with their small-screen origins.
Nevertheless, with an impressive gag-rate, buckets of quotable lines (“I stopped worshipping God when I realised it was ‘Dog’ spelt backwards”) and four winning leads, The Inbetweeners Movie is hands down the best comedy of the summer. Now that’s how you do it, Sex & the City.
4/5
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