Film Review: Alpha Papa

Director: Declan Lowney

I've already spent a disproportionate amount of time previewing this film due to my belief that the Alan Partridge series is one of the best comedy series of all time. My immediate concern after seeing the stage version that Steve Coogan took on tour and the online series Mid-Morning Matters was whether there was any mileage left in the character, the two shows I mention above were certainly not of the quality of his early work.

Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan)

After being fired from North Norfolk Digital when it is taken over by a multinational conglomerate and renamed Shape, a disgruntled DJ (Colm Meaney) returns to the station during an office party with a gun and holds the station hostage. The only person he'll talk to during siege negotiations is fellow DJ Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan of course) who, as he quickly becomes the public and media face of the siege, sees an opportunity to stage a triumphant return to the limelight.

The return of Alan Partridge is a glorious one, naturally the plot struggles to last the full distance but the laughter certainly does not. It is a film with many laughs that are evenly spread out throughout the film and very rarely does Coogan & Co have to rely on recycling old jokes and quotes to get a laugh. The return of Lynn and Michael is coolly handled with neither taking a bigger role than they ever did before, this is Partridge's vehicle from start to finish even if the return of Dave Clifton is also very funny. It would have been more organic from Dave to have been the one to lose the plot and hold people hostage rather than a new character.

Alan and Michael with a hostage

The plot moves well for the first hour but then struggles to really know where it's going before working its way to a conclusion, but the plot is a side point when watching a comedy. Alan's story of redemption is unique to him and completely in keeping with his character. It's filmed using mostly handheld cameras like the original TV series in the travel tavern so it retains a more personal and familiar feel. It gives Coogan the best opportunity to be himself and a superb scene outside the scene where it looks like he's back on Knowing Me, Knowing You. Put away your fear and trepidation about Partridge's latest return, its a cracker.

3.5/4 Endlessly quoteable and thoroughly enjoyable