The Inbetweeners 2

Before watching The Inbetweeners Movie in 2011 I re-watched the entire three seasons of the show. This time round I didn't and maybe that was a good thing because the movies have evolved so far from what the show was about.

This time around the guys, Will (Simon Bird), Simon (Joe Thomas) and Neil (Blake Harrison), fed up with their dull lives decide to visit their friend Jay (James Buckley), who is on a gap year in Australia. Once their Will reunites with childhood friend Katie (Emily Berrington).

This movie is funny, although it's moved away from the cringeworthy, we've-all-been-there comedy of the show and just become gross out, and at times predictable, humour. But it still has it's own twist on the type. There is a great reference to Platoon in a scene that would just be straight out horrifying without. At times the crassness can be a bit grating, but eventually you forget all about these moments.

There are also references to the show and first movie that are great for fans, but you don't really need a deep understanding of them to enjoy this one. Although I do feel as though the audience for this one is really narrow, being either English people who have enjoyed a backpacking trip to Australia or Australians who interact with backpackers like this fairly often (I fit squarely in the latter group).

It's fun to see the backpacking archetypes that are portrayed and anyone who has traveled in a large group overseas will recognise them instantly. There are the people who just want to have a fun time and then there are the hardcore "we really just want to get to know the locals, man", who, let's face it, are the really annoying ones.

Another good thing about this movie is that they don't portray the Australians as over-the-top stereotypes that we can sometimes come across as. There is a long sequence at the start where Jay goes through as many Australian stereotypes as he can, but as we soon find out, he's full of shit.

The performances from the main cast are pretty solid, but at this stage it's no surprise since they've been playing the characters for eight years. Emily Berrington is okay, but nothing special. I found Tamla Kari as Simon's crazy and obsessive girlfriend, Lucy, pretty funny.

Verdict: If you know that you're in for a gross out comedy, The Inbetweeners 2 is a pretty hilarious movie.