Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Aheeeeeee!... Wait, that's not right

                            Not the police officer you want knocking on your door to deliver bad news

DIRECTOR: Declan Lowney

CAST: The shit director from Tropic Thunder, the pilot from Die Hard 2, a man who is going to be in a film that is literally called The 4th Reich, fake John Cleese, and a Geordie... 

PLOT: Alan Partridge is back, and when his Irish co-worker is fired from North Norfolk Digital after the company is taken over by a company that wants to make it fresh and new, he drinks some Guinness (presumably) and takes his fellow DJ's hostage. The only person who he will negotiate with during the siege is, you guessed it, Alan himself. What could possibly go right?

Alan Partridge is perhaps the epitome of marmite, up there with the likes of the comedy stylings of Ricky Gervais and Little Britain - his comedic style is equally loved and hated by many of the British public. But the sign of a true heavyweight of comedy is definitely the ability to split people down the middle. It's much easier to be seen as simply adequate in the eyes of many, but a lot braver to make comedy that will be die-hardedly followed by some, and sneered at by others. 

But that all contributes to make Alan Partridge one of the most celebrated characters of British comedy since his birth on radio over twenty years ago. And at the end of the day, much of the audience of Partridge's first ever big-screen outing must have already been set in stone prior to pre-production. There will be those who flock to the cinema, and those that intentionally avoid it at all costs. 

Then there's those who have little or no experience of Steve Coogan's creation, such as myself. Aside from seeing a few episodes of Alan Partridge sitcom I'm Alan Partridge years and years ago with my dad, the last series of which was made in 2002, I am no expert on the character.

However, I am an expert on comedy... or at least I like to think that I am.

                                   The Norfolk annual Fun Run advertisement paid for its typo... 

The biggest challenge for Coogan and company was to make a satisfying transfer of Alan Partridge from radio and small screens to a much larger screen. It's fair to say that not even hardcore fans of the character were screaming for an Alan Partridge film from the rooftops, and there were worries about whether the character would be able to hold your attention for 90 minutes whilst providing a narrative and tone that still resonated with earlier Partridge works, and didn't get too 'Hollywood', if you will, and stick to its largely dull Norfolk roots.

When the picture opens with establishing shots of the Norfolk area, accompanied by the music from the experimental film Koyaanisqatsi, famous for being a morbid depiction of the state of our home planet due to humanity's lack of care and unrelenting assault on the world's resources, it does just that. It might not be laugh out loud funny, but when you're sat there with a huge grin on your face it's easy to forget that it's not often that establishing shots in a film can be so fucking hilarious - a genius stroke from the director and writers.

But it doesn't waste time with establishing shots - the film jumps straight into hilarity, wasting no time with getting the narrative running and giving our eponymous intelligent idiot a brief introduction by perfectly and beautifully miming to old school tunes on his way to work at the local radio station. A long introduction isn't needed, not even for those who have never heard of Alan Partridge, you already know what you need to know - he's a dick, albeit a funny one, but still a dick. You've probably got a similar friend - when he or she is in your company and yapping on about shit you don't care about, you're thinking to yourself 'what a fucking dick, I wish you'd go away'. But when they're no longer in your presence, you kind of miss them. You know who I mean. Although, if you don't, you're probably that person.

Shit.

Long time fans will be rewarded by spotting familiar faces and receiving long-running inside jokes. But if these are wasted on you, never fear, as the rate of gags isn't per minute - it's per seconds. Where a joke may fall flat with you, it won't be long until that's forgotten about and you're folding over with laughter again. You'll be quoting for days from the gut-wrenchingly funny dialogue, discussing what would happen if Judaism and Islam combined - "Jislam", for the record; and you'll be shouting "He's got a shooter!" at your friends. Or if you're a bit more serious you'll slap a mate as an SS soldier would. 

It's fair to say that the British are well and truly owning comedy this year, and this may very well be the best that is on offer if it wasn't to do with a certain apocalyptic ice cream flavour. This is Steve Coogan at his ruddy best, widening his appeal but not losing touch with what makes him a brilliant taste for the acquired. Accompanied by a solid story, morals that are positive and get the piss taken out of, and a thin exploration of the state of the radio industry that is being strangled out of all of its independence and individuality (also thankfully taken the piss out of), this is either a brilliant big-screen swan song for Alan Partridge, or the beginning of another media platform that will receive masterfully witty, laugh-inducing assault.

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