I loved this movie, and so did my husband. Still, I'm not that surprised at the number of negative reviews, and the relatively low scores, here on IMDb. The humour is subtle and understated; you either get it or you don't. Personally, I think the way in which Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon spar with with other and insult each other in various subtle ways, is hilarious. Yes, they do repeat the same old routines over and over (Sean Connery as James Bond, Marlon Brando, and of course Michael Caine ("she was only seventeen" with a sob in his voice)), and Steve's role in the - excellent and serious - film Philomena (with Judy Dench) is referred to more than once. But it's all part of the fun, and part of them not taking themselves and each other too seriously. Frankly - and no offence - I can imagine why this movie wouldn't be a hit in the United States; this type of humour is on the whole not appreciated by Americans I would think (with my apologies to those Americans who do like British humour!)
The way in which the movie features Spain is also wonderful, I think. It makes me want to hop on a plane and go there straightaway! The restaurants all look great and the food amazing; and so do the hotels. Yet again, this is presented in a somewhat low-key and understated manner, so not everyone will appreciate it or find the country attractive on the basis of this movie. But I loved it that they stayed away from the tourist spots - with a few exceptions such as the Alhambra in Grenada - and went to places that were a bit less known.
And finally the ending: stunning! You are left wondering, at least I was: how is Steve going to get out of this? Is he going to get out of this? I certainly hope so - I'm all set for the new 'A trip to....'!
Summarising: wonderful, but not for everyone.
Review of The Trip to Spain
