TMG Scale: 5.5 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Starring Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson along with unnecessary cameos by Will Ferrell and John Goodman
A few laughs, slightly cute and little more. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn can do this bit with no script and half asleep. I am pretty sure they did. This movie has few ad placements other than the usual Apple Mac computer promo spots. The fact is, this movie IS a paid advertisement for GOOGLE, by GOOGLE and certainly paid for by GOOGLE, with a few dollars thrown in by the University of Phoenix. I hope this is not a road map of crappy, cheap comedies to come.
Boneheaded, forty-something watch salesmen Nick (Wilson) and Billy (Billy) lose their jobs and apply for a competitive internship competition at GOOGLE with a flocks of 20 year old super nerds. Back to School (1986) with Rodney Dangerfield this movie is not. I believe the set up but I don’t believe that Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have not a single gray hair at their ages. Both need to start taking parts their own age.
This film portrays GOOGLE as the breeding ground for world class nerds and lost romantics. Okay, at least it is truthful. One philosophy I found most provocative is that on the GOOGLE campus, all the food and lunches are free. However, it is a major violation at GOOGLE to take any food home. In other words, you only get food if, and while, you are working. For a bunch of bleeding heart liberals from California, this message seems about as anti-immigrant, anti-welfare as one can get. On the other hand, perhaps it is a message of communism–work for us and do as we say and we shall feed you. Stray and you shall starve. It seems strange because GOOGLE is the poster child of capitalism in America. Come up with a cool idea and make a few hundred billion dollars. But then the masses must kiss your ring and bow art your door. Worse, if you want to work there you are forced to engage in many circus like stunts and court jester antics—hardly a self esteem building exercise for the low esteem “Noogles.” There are lots of mixed messages in between the all too rare guffaws in this film.
I suggest googling “laughs” and see what turns up instead.