The Internship searched for "Google" and found 3,692,755 results. My oh my, what a genuine surprise this was. There was me expecting an unfunny, uncharismatic and unimaginative comedy and, for the first half, was just that. But then it hit me. This unknown warm sensation in my heart. Could it be that a Vince Vaughn comedy actually made me feel...something? A plot consisting of two middle aged men, who have recently become unemployed, venturing to the modern world by participating in an Internship for Google, had actually infiltrated my emotionless body? Yes, it's essentially an advertisement for Google, making them a reputable company that everyone wants to work for (mainly to sleep in those nap pods). And yes, the laughs are few and far between. But what really made this stand out from all the mediocre American "comedies" that are churned out annually, is the amount of heart within the story. Taking the stressful situation of losing a job and turning it into a narrative about optimism. Dream big and pursue your aspirations. It worked, and the likability of Wilson and Vaughn helped propel that warmth forward. This may just be the first comedy of both these actors that I actually liked. Now that, is a bold statement. The help of the supporting actors, particular Byrne and Minghella, assist in creating natural development within this team of interns (and a few love interests). The initial conflict stemmed from the age difference, but age is just a number. The life experience of the older interns complements the intellectual prowess of the younger individuals, thus forming a team. Unity. A theme that is overly explored in several disposable comedies, hence the underlying feeling of blandness. Also it does take some time for the narrative to get into its stride, over relying on stale pop cultural references. Still, this took me by surprise. And as a computer programmer, some of the jokes did produce a snigger from my cold dead soul. That in itself is an achievement. It's nothing particularly innovative, but its comedic algorithms somehow produced a large amount of heart.
