Film Review: The Internship
Product placement in Hollywood films dates back to the 1920s an it’s commonplace for blockbusters to offset some of their astronomical budgets with shameless plugs.
Elliott lured E.T. out of hiding with an oft-mentioned peanut butter candy and James Bond’s antics have always relied on luxury cars and watches.
This summer, Superman’s titanic battle with General Zod in Man Of Steel razed all of Metropolis except for one branch of a nationwide shop chain and Brad Pitt took time out from battling the undead in World War Z to chug a can of his favourite soft drink in glorious close-up. Saving the world is a thirsty business.
The Internship takes promotional tie-ins to the next level, constructing an entire film around one globally recognisable brand and extolling its virtues for almost two hours.
Shot on location at the San Francisco corporate headquarters of an internet search engine, Shawn Levy’s buddy comedy is essentially a glossy promo for a new generation of hi-tech companies that hope to inspire creativity by transforming workspaces into playgrounds.