The Trip to Italy (2014)

Why so much hype?

Admirable film.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Michael Winterbottom's insight behind The Trip was to simply put Brydon and Coogan together in front of the camera and let them get on with it; despite reservations by the pair, the instinct was the correct one. The Trip to Italy picks up where The Trip leaves off - food, scenery, and the on-screen chemistry, a bromance/rivalry, between Brydon and Coogan. Again, Brydon manages to find an opportunity for his set-piece, his 'man-in-the-box' voice. In some ways, it's reminiscent of the on-screen chemistry on the Top Gear 'road trips' (another TV show that relies upon middle-aged men playing versions of themselves), but the humour is kinder, more clever; less juvenile. Badinage perhaps, rather than banter. Light-hearted, overall it works even if, at times, it starts to become self-indulgent.

Hard to believe that two people driving around Italy and eating great food would be so irritating. There is more half-assed impersonations of Al Pacino and Robert DiNero than comment on the food, the scenery, or five star lodgings. Mute the sound, fast forward as needed, and you can knock this one off in less than ten minutes. You'll be glad you did.

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are on the road again with director Michael Winterbottom, this time in Italy. There's not much else to say about the plot of "The Trip to Italy" unless you're unfamiliar with 2010's "The Trip," in which case go watch that movie first. Not because you need to know information about the first, but you need to know where the whole shtick is coming from."Trip to Italy" is more impersonations, more gorgeous scenery (the Amalfi Coast, seriously …), more plated food, more phone calls to loved ones back home, more poetry, more everything from the northern England "trip." It's a formula that worked the first time because of the wild improvisational talents of its leads but also the way they stay grounded. By and large it works here, only the novelty has worn off a bit.Story-wise, Winterbottom has flipped the script in a couple subtle but key ways, starting with Rob calling Steve to invite him to Italy as he's become the food writer now, or at least equal with Steve. This is the first of many role-reversals in store for the fictional versions of Rob and Steve, whose lives have clearly changed since the last trip. Although these persona narratives are shifting, they're still as goofy, chummy, career-focused and fixated on their age and legacies as ever.Mortality is a particular focus of conversation. Aging, their sex appeal, what they might still accomplish before their deaths – their time in Vesuvius, for example, leaves them "petrified" as Rob jokes. Winterbottom definitely steers the dialogue in this direction more purposefully than last time, but Steve and Rob keep it lighthearted and enjoyable while still allowing for some salient ideas to emerge.The comedy stays the course as well, with a number of callbacks to jokes from the first film including brief Michael Caine bits and James Bond impressions. In most comedy sequels, that would be annoying, cheap and a sign of a terrible cash-grabbing middle finger to the audience who deserves some original material. But "The Trip" resembled a real-life road trip and when two friends go on a second trip together, they often recall the jokes that gave them a laugh and good memories the last time.We do get some new impersonations and quite a bit of Alanis Morrisette karaoke, the least fitting backdrop for a tour of Italia as you could ever imagine. The laugh-out-loud moments get a bit scarcer and the impersonations a bit more grating – though in fairness I did watch "The Trip" very recently so those who've taken a longer hiatus won't likely feel the same."The Trip to Italy" loses a bit of comic luster as sequels tend to do, but the feeling of being on a road trip vacation that made "The Trip" so pleasant washes over you yet again. The ending leaves a bit to be desired but on the whole it's a satisfying continuation of the antics and style that fans of "The Trip" effortlessly enjoyed.~Steven CThanks for reading. Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more

As I write this review I am scrambling to think of a more boring, painfully uninteresting and dull movie, and I can't. Of course I have come across Steve Coogan before. The other character with his constant boring mimicking, I am not familiar with (perhaps in another setting he maybe bring a slight chuckle.. but here he is just downright irritating). And Steve, who breaks the news at their first meal that that he is off the drink, yet embarks on a culinary trip to Italy. the home of finest wines and food.!!. Not even funny. and this puts the finishing touches on "dry and boring". But as the movie was set in Italy I thought it might be interesting and at least we would get to see some nice scenery. Well the truth is after about half an hour I couldn't take anymore and walked away. I didn't tick the box for spoiler alert, because I am not going to spoil this movie, simply because it is not possible. It was spoiled already the day it was made. I would rather watch paint dry. How how this has got a 6.7 rating on IMDb is racking my brains and wrecking my head. Because I do put a lot of faith in IMDb ratings I am completely at a loss here and extremely disappointed. Anything above 3 is over rating it..