A joke that is utilized at least three times in "The Internship" is Billy (Vince Vaughn) comparing what his group of underdog Google interns is going through with the 1983 film "Flashdance". It gets to the point that when Billy isn't even on-screen, the characters mention that had he been there he would have been referencing 80s films. There is nothing about "The Internship" that doesn't feel dated. The film consists of montages to show struggles and improvements of groups. The soundtrack features songs like "Ironic" by Alanis Morisette, "Jump Around" by House of Pain, and "Lowrider" by War. It feels like a film that was kept in a time capsule digitally swapping out the name of a technology company from the 90s with Google and then simply releasing it. While it is incredibly difficult for stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn to not be charming and elict laughter, the feeling that we have already seen "The Internship" made it a wholly unnecessary film.
Billy (Vaughn) and Nick (Owen Wilson) are down on their luck. After losing their sales jobs, they stride out into the harsh economic climate with no modern-day skills. On a whim, Billy applies the two for an internship to Google. Through a rambling and quasi-enlightening interview they are accepted into Google's headquarters. When there, they find themselves at least double the age of everyone there. They team up with another group of outcast interns and try to beat the team run by a smug Brit (Max Minghella) in hopes of receiving a full-time job.
Everything about "The Internship" feels like a movie we have seen repeatedly on cable networks for years. The "outcasts vs preps" plot is utilized to almost eye-rolling degrees. There are montages set to music that think that simply by having up-lifting music we can see that they are bonding. It contains a sports competition that is meant to show how even outcasts can come together as a team and win. There are scenes of characters leaving the group when they think they are bringing the group down only to show up at just the right moment. The group of "preps" even has a male character who wears a tight pink polo shot. The only thing that is missing is a conclusion that involves a skiing competition. In the hands of a more capable director by Shawn Levy (the man who continues to release mediocre films like the "Night at the Museum" series and "Real Steel") this movie might almost be a nostalgic homage. Unfortunately, "The Internship" never reaches this. The cliches and stereotypes are never pleasant or entertaining. Every character feels like they are simply filling a necessary component (attitude, ethnicity, gender). Every plot advancement is seen a mile away. You will no doubt know what is going to happen just by reading the plot summary. This is not comforting or meant to bring up images of other films. It is simply lazy film-making.
It is impossible for Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson to not be entertaining. We have seen both actors deliver enjoyable performances in the past and it is almost to the point where anything they do can make an audience laugh. Here, both Vaughn and Wilson feel tired and rushed. It has nothing to do with age and entirely is blamed on the material they are given. We are constantly being told hat both characters are hopelessly flawed and they are constantly having to prove that they are not. They are trying but not nearly as hard as we have seen before. Most comedic scenes feel like first-take improv sessions from a bunch of actors.
Another big problem with the film is that the plot set-up is not necessarily fun. While it is topical (sort of) to have characters dealing with the economic downturn, it is not that much fun to hear 20-somethings being depressed about their job prospects. When the top five out of hundreds of interns are actually given a job for their hard work, it is hardly a victory. You are actively rooting for other characters to fail and be unemployed. While it is understand to dislike the main villain, the rest of the opposing cast didn't necessarily do anything wrong to make us want them to necessarily fail. This is a championship basketball game where the outcome doesn't really matter.. It is unemployment. That is not a good basis for a comedy.
While "The Internship" is not without its charm, that charm mostly comes from what we have already seen and know about Wilson and Vaughn. If you dislike either (and there are plenty) this movie will be near unbearable. It offers nothing new or special and takes far too long to get to its obvious and cliched outcome.
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