After decades of filling the airwaves, prime-time telly slots and space on Youtube Alan Partridge finally reaches the final medium with his own film.
Partridge fans will be delighted to see Alan (played by Steve Coogan, obviously) hasn’t mellowed, he remains toe-curlingly awkward as the media’s ‘siege face’ for a hostage situation at Alan’s radio station, North Norfolk Radio. The Partridgisms are as embarrassing and continuous as ever, with an appropriate amount of gross-out moments thrown in for good measure.
The stakes are raised and Alan’s desperation and selfishness find new levels as a result of the siege being commanded by disgruntled DJ Pat Farrell (played by Colm Meaney) but unlike many movie adaptations of TV characters Alan doesn’t get to escape to LA or NYC, he remains in Norfolk (NR) throughout. This allows the film to utilise great characters from before like Michael the Geordie and Alan’s under-appreciated personal assistant Lynn. It also keeps the story fairly grounded, allowing Alan to remain (at least in his mind) a big cheese in a small city and enabling the plot to explore the changes in local radio.
The film will not punish new viewers for their prior ignorance of Alan and fans shouldn’t be disappointed in what is one of the funniest British comedies this year.
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