Review: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Review: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Director: Declan Lowney

Cast: Steve Coogan, Colm Meaney, Felicity Montagu, Sean Pertwee

Running Time: 121 Minutes

"I'm Alan Partridge, I've not been off the TV that long!"

The narrow-minded, accidentally insulting and somehow likeable Norwich Radio DJ Alan Partridge is back on our screens - only this time, it's the silver one. Over twenty years in the making, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa sees British comedy legend Steve Coogan popping the headphones on once more as arguably his most ingenious comic creation. 

Yet with the character making such an established impact on television, how does he fare when thrown in to a cinematic adventure? 

Well, fans of Coogan's timeless character won't be disappointed, as not only does Alpha Papa act as a genuinely enjoyable movie in its own right, but it doesn't dilute or deflate the origins of the great 80's loving DJ just for the sake of pleasing the masses. The sitcom-to-cinema route is often strewn with misfires (with The Inbetweeners acting as an exception and Mr Bean's Holiday acting as an example), but by keeping the references to the TV show at a minimum, Alpha Papa manages to be both accessible to new fans and pleasing to the old ones.

In fact there are barely any "A-ha!" moments, as it turns out that Alan is a hopelessly appealing character in any medium whether you know him or not - he's like the village idiot that's not actually an idiot, more just desperate for attention. Some would say that the story itself becomes a betrayal of his roots though, as shoot-outs, hostage situations and frantic police chases ruin the quintessentially awkward and hilariously mundane 'Partridge' atmosphere, but ultimately the level of comedy littered throughout the running time ensure that Alpha Papa is nothing less than entertaining.

A brief history of Alan is pretty unnecessary, as the opening moments set his character up rather nicely. He's 55, he's got aggressive athletes foot (something he believes is incredibly important to everyone), his children don't talk to him anymore and his radio station North Norfolk is getting taking over by a hip new broadcasting company called "Shape" ("the way you want it to be!"). He soon discovers that either he or his long-time broadcasting friend Pat are in the line of fire, and encourages the executives to sack the alternative, leading Pat to go on a craze-fuelled shotgun spree inside the station.

Cue Alan's time to shine, as he becomes the go-between for Pat and the cops, resulting in enough quotable punchlines to knock out Muhammed Ali. 

The comedy is cranked up to eleven for this, and it's refreshing to see a movie based on a sitcom which actually stays at home - where The Inbetweeners went on holiday for their big screen outing, Alan stays in Britain and Alpha Papa works all the better for it. Saying that, some of the sight gags (Alan trying to clamber out of a window completely naked for example) feel like they belong in an American Pie movie rather than Norfolk's finest, but even so the subtle comedy hits all the right beats ("Why can't they just merge Jewish and Islam, y'know, call it Jislam?"). There's even a few guest-starring cameos, with Sean Pertwee acting as an exciting addition to the cast amongst all the carnage. 

As for the plot, writers Coogan and Peter Baynham stretch the premise to breaking point - between dream sequences and travelling to a pier, the actual storyline feels extensive towards the end, but luckily the performances and the surprisingly poignant moments (Pat's depression and Alan sorrowfully passing on messages to family members) keep the action moving as much as it can. 

Luckily the running time doesn't outstay its welcome, and an amusingly tense climax sees Alpha Papa rounding off a satisfying ode to the legacy of Alan Partridge and his surprisingly everlasting appeal. Coogan himself is superb, giving a master-class in comedy: every facial tic and every little mumble of disdain acting as the result of over two decades of character building.

Summary

Funny, moving and expertly directed, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is simply one of the best comedies of the year, and manages to invite fans both old and new to celebrate Steve Coogan's iconic character. It's not always spot-on, but the film stays true to Alan's irresistibly ridiculous personality and even sees him caught up in those sort of heroic situations he's dreamt of his whole life. This is ruddy hilarious, and exactly what comedy needed on the big screen. Back of the net!

8/10 - Great

The League Of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005), Hot Fuzz (2007), The World's End (2013)