Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
When famous DJ Alan Partridge’s radio station is taken over by a new media conglomerate, it sets in motion a chain of events which see Alan having to work with the police to defuse a potentially violent siege.
Alpha Papa successfully translates the beloved Alan Partridge character to the big screen without losing what makes him special. Steve Coogan's performance is the undisputed highlight — his comic timing and total embodiment of Partridge's narcissistic obliviousness is genuinely exceptional. The siege plot is a serviceable vehicle for the character comedy rather than an inventive thriller construction, and the film leans heavily on existing fan goodwill. Cinematography is functional TV-movie standard with little visual ambition. The ending is satisfying within its own logic but not particularly memorable beyond the character's amusingly self-serving arc.