FILM REVIEW: THE INBETWEENERS 2 (15)

Even though this lacks the more constant comedic consistency of the original – several truly hilarious laugh-out-loud moments still make this one of the better comedies of the year.

This sequel to 2011’s breakout box-office smash – which came out of nowhere to become the UK’s highest-grossing film comedy of all-time (a feat this follow-up could even beat if its opening weekend is anything to go by) – proves to be another enjoyable jaunt that teens and twenty-somethings (in particular) will undoubtedly need to see as a cinematic ‘badge of honour’.

After their Crete-based holiday exploits, geeky Will (Simon Bird) is friend-less at Bristol uni, dopey Neil (Blake Harrison) is jobless, and unlucky-in-love Simon (Joe Thomas) has shacked up with his ‘psychotic’ girlfriend Lucy (Tamla Kari) at student digs in Sheffield.

Fortunately Jay (James Buckley) is a world-class DJ at one of Australia’s hottest clubs – leading to his three old buddies to join him in Oz. Except we all know he’s a ‘dreamer’ and he may just have been telling one or two ‘fibs’ as he searches for his ex Jane (Lydia Rose Bewley), who he hooked up with in the last film.

Female-repellent Will is thrown a romantic lifeline as he bumps into attractive childhood friend Katie (Emily Berrington), who is backpacking around the world, and their relationship proves to be the central storyline in which the hapless foursome’s humorous frivolities spin-off from.

Despite an ending which runs out of steam this is pretty decent comedy fare – of course in an extremely crude fashion that some older cinema-goers may find a touch too much – despite lacking the surprising ‘wow’ factor that the first film had for newbies to the series.

Fortunately some tear-inducing moments from Jay’s Peter Andre-branded car, Will’s guitar solo, and the coup de grace, the water-park movie-stealing scene from Splash Planet – this ticks virtually all the ‘great night out’ boxes for its target demographic.

One thing’s for sure, after this you’ll always be looking behind you to see what’s following you the next time you go down a water slide . . .

Visit www.showcasecinemas.co.uk for the latest up-to-date showtimes for Peterborough Showcase. You can also join the chat on Twitter @showcasecinemas or on Facebook by searching for ‘Showcase CinemasUK’.

Gavin Miller

Cast: Simon Bird, James Buckley, Joe Thomas, Blake Harrison, Emily Berrington, Freddie Stroma, Tamla Kari, Lydia Rose Bewley, Belinda Stewart-Wilson & Greg Davies

Running Time: 1 Hr 35 Mins

Director: Damon Beesley & Iain Morris [youtube id=”cfJxwhzgvS4″ width=”600″ height=”350″]