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Parents' Guide to

Alan Partridge

By Tom Cassidy, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Brit TV antihero hostage comedy has violence and language.

Movie R 2014 90 minutes
Alan Partridge Poster Image

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What's the Story?

In ALAN PARTRIDGE, the titular radio DJ's regional station is taken over by a new media group set to make changes to its output. Alan (Steve Coogan) learns he might be sacked, so he secretly convinces the board to instead fire his colleague Pat Farrell (Colm Meaney). Unfortunately, Pat doesn't take the news well and holds the station hostage with a shotgun.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This movie makes the character's transition from TV to the big screen successful by upping the stakes. Many lives are in danger throughout the siege, but the inclusion of mundane details of everyday British life provide a great comedic counter to the action. Alan Partridge -- also known as Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa -- owes a debt to the work of Edgar Wright, who masterfully mixed suburban life with a zombie apocalypse in 2004's Shaun of the Dead and threw an explosive Hollywood-size action movie plot into a rural village in 2007's Hot Fuzz. Like those movies, Alan Partridge balances real thrills with the distinctive thread of British humor that laughs at the pettiness of ego and other negative traits.

The movie is consistently funny throughout, thanks largely to original series writers Coogan, Armando Iannucci (Veep), and Peter Baynham contributing to the screenplay, along with brothers Neil and Rob Gibbons. Partridge fans must have held their breath when it was announced he would be making the leap to the big screen -- a jump so many before have failed to land. Those fans needn't have worried. Alan Partridge serves as the perfect bookmark for those wanting to spend an extended time with one of Britain's most beloved comedy characters -- no matter how insufferable he is. What's more, while fans of the TV series will love it, viewers with nothing more than an interest in comedy movies will still have a great time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Alan Partridge. How does the fact that the film is a comedy affect the impact of the violent scenes?

  • Discuss the strong language used. Does it seem necessary, or excessive? What does it contribute to the movie?

  • Alan Partridge has many faults but is much beloved by fans. Why is it sometimes funny to laugh at characters who do and say the wrong things in certain situations?

  • Aging DJs Alan and Pat are being phased out by the new owners to fit their corporate vision. Similar things are happening across many industries in real life. Is it right for progress, or should older staff members be better treated?

  • What alternative ways could Pat have aired his concerns rather than taking the staff hostage?

Movie Details

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