September 2013 - The Internship

Tadpole Thinks:
(SPOILER-FREE, for the first time in forever)

Wow, that last post was long!

This month for our comeback, we've decided to review something lighter. And I promise this review will be an actual review, not a rant about the director's choice of camera angles / the actor's singing voice or face / etc... here we go:

Many have said that The Internship is a two-hour Google recruitment commercial. I don't care. Though I've just watched a film which spent a great deal of time on product placement and so I should have that idea incepted into my head, "product placement" didn't cross my mind while I was watching The Internship. I could see why people would say that. I don't know if Google had actually funded the production of the movie and I wasn't too eager to look that up... but they probably hadn't. Reason being: IT'S _ _ _ _ ING GOOGLE! And it's the very same reason why it doesn't bother me even if the film is essentially an advertisement.

Look, the film wouldn't have worked if it's about Yahoo! (...might have worked ten years ago) or say, Swire. They are great companies but they aren't Google. The film might have worked if it's about bulge bracket investment banks but we've all heard unglamorous things about them, while for Google, we've only heard great things (also mentioned in the film) - free food, cool office space and extremely smart co-workers... Guess now we could all get past the fact that The Internship made it like we should all bow down before Google... because maybe we really should?

If you could look past the fact that this film is almost a commercial, The Internship is a very enjoyable movie and I personally like it a lot. For the story, there's nothing new. It's the same old formula. It has its laugh-out-loud moments and touching moments. Some of the gags are extremely funny and relatable and I found myself laughing uncontrollably loud (with people staring, of course). I also found myself slightly touched at some points in the movie, but these moments aren't remarkably memorable and I honestly don't remember that touched feeling now. There are movies that touch you and make you want to turn your life around and change the world, this isn't one of them. But what do you expect? Though I should be fair and mention that this movie has made me consider changing my major to Computer Science for a night, but I've always enjoyed programming anyway. One thing I want to mention (and to remind myself) from personal experience which relates to the movie: if you could choose and afford your choice, always PURSUE YOUR DREAM! Life's too short to play it safe all the time.

The Internship ends with them saying that summer is "one hell of a summer" (come on, this isn't a spoiler! You thought that their summer would suck?). My summer has been "one hell of a summer" too. This review officially marks the end of my summer holiday... ahead of me awaits school work, various responsibilities and an internship (isn't it ironic... don't you think?). I wish everyone a great school (or work) year ahead!

Finally a review in which I seem genuinely pleased... why am I always so bitter? I highly recommend The Internship to those who want to have a good time and laugh really hard and unwind!


Fish Thinks:
*Spoiler Alert

I didn't expect much from the film, thinking it to be another Wedding Crashers type of comedy. However, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn showed to me and the audience that they are capable to recreate a fresh image of themselves.

One of the things that make the film so laugh-out-loud funny is the brilliantly-created characters, whom each of them have their oddities and specialties, and together they sparked chemistry and splashed colors to the already fantastic plot line. Yo-yo the antisocial and reserved mama's boy is super hilarious and his brow-picking habit of self-punishment drove us all into tears of laughter. Lyle, Stuart and Neha are awkward yet lovable people, and the team's crazy way of dealing with challenges are immensely entertaining! Wilson and Vaughn's brotherhood is nothing new but heartwarming still as they stick together and overcome one obstacle and another.

Another thing I love about the film is that you can find the impossible within the possible. It may sound confusing, but would an office pause for a Quiddich Match for its employees? Where on earth could you find a food paradise in a workplace? The Google Office inspired us that incorporating work and play together actually boost up working incentives and stimulates more creative ideas. Also, in the last bit of the film when scores are calculated to see which intern team gets to be hired, a line hit me: "Google is for disseminating information and benefiting people's life". It really got me into thinking how search engines matters in our lives, and the great impact it actually has on us. A simple searching tool is in fact generated and constantly enhanced by a compact team of intelligent and forward brains, and perhaps because Google is infused in our lives that we overlooked its brilliance. The film manifested how people quietly do their jobs to create a better world for us to live in, and reminded us that we should not take things for granted.

I guess I could connect with the film because I'm a college student going to look for internship. I also am at the age of confronting the fears of choosing careers, struggling between dreams and reality, to take risks or to it safe. The Internship gave me butterflies as well as  insights to the path of career search, and perhaps, the attitude towards life. It's sort of like an inner voice that encourages the us to believe in our's own instincts and to grab the chance before it's too late.

The central message of The Internship is to tell people to be brave, try something new, and step out of their comfort zone. Ultimately, what audiences gained after watching the film may be courage to venture the unknown, or a sense of hope, believing that somewhere out there, something is waiting for you to find them, and to change your life.