If you’ve come across this at all, it is probably via the “duelling Michael Caines” clip which was a hit on YouTube. This feature, which began life as a short television series, is the extended remix of that clip.

Serial funny men Coogan and Brydon take a largely unscripted restaurant tour through England’s north, as an assignment for The Observer. Their improvised antics are punctuated by sprawling country landscapes (mostly while Coogan searches for cell coverage) and glorious food cinematography as the camera benignly observes the cooking process in the kitchens of their various destinations.

There’s a sweet, revealing undercurrent here of the real relationship between these two, and of the grass-is-greener, single vs spoken-for dynamic that underpins what little narrative the film offers.

The chemistry between Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon is the whole film. The two of them bicker and one-up each other constantly; over meals, on the road, and predictably (and brilliantly) at Coogan's parents'.

There's honest contrast on screen between the two men, and their life situations. Honest in so much as they choose to portray themselves, as this is a work of fiction. It's both played for laughs and very straight. I found it a beautiful balance.

Not laugh-a-minute funny per say but witty, charming and ever amusing. Coogan and Brydon make the perfect pair. It's also a surprisingly melancholy and human movie, especially the ending.

I really enjoyed this - the characters were deftly set-up and Coogan and Brydon's chemistry was impeccable. Funny, charming and for such a breezy watch it was strangely moving in parts. Even if it's hard to relate to two people, who are more successful and better looking than I'll ever be, complaining that they aren't more famous.
I guess the grass is always greener...

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

It was a little slow, the scenes were generally funny - especially the impressions.

Could have really run off the rails as an over disclosing, self obsessed vanity project. Celebrities donning their real names and mucking about as they might do otherwise- pretty callous to think people would want to watch that.

But Steve and Rob provide excellent balance. Amongst the many impressions, jabs, and witticisms, are pausing maxims and revelations. Coogan's moodiness and Rob's effervescence transform respectively to gravitas and triteness, only to go back again. Interspersed with all this are lovely vistas of Northern England and gluttonous meals, providing a lovely visual breathing space for what would otherwise have been a claustrophobic road trip.

The film strikes the perfect balance between staying warm (Coogan would say mediocrity), and profound bits of genius (Brydon would say going supernova, not leaving yourself anywhere else to go).

Aburrida es poco.

Loved the tv show and so revisited this as an abridged version. All crucial scenes (but one) remain. Great comedy and a wonderful portrait of middle-aged men reflecting on life from two very different perspectives.

I've seen both the film and the tv series The Trip. No significant differences were noted between them. Steve and Rob go on a trip around England tasting foods and talking about themselves and other English people. There's no plot and little in the way of dramatic conflict. There is an overarching theme of Steve's mid-life crisis, but not much is made of it to be honest. What I get out of The Trip, above all, is a relaxing film / series that is a good substitute for actually going out to eat with friends. Steve and Rob are funny and smart, and the photography is nice to look at.

The impressions, the ridiculous, never-ending impressions is what makes this movie hilarious. Steve and Rob are demented comedic gold together.