A scissor-sharp comedy of ineptitude and failure.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The Guardian by Catherine Shoard
The genius of Alpha Papa, then, is in remaining faithful to Partridge's small-screen soul while also managing the demands of a big-screen Alan.
Ruddy hilarious. Just what big-screen comedy needed.
The pleasure and the pain are all up there on the screen; we just wish it was less painful to watch.
Smartly executed, endlessly quotable and machine-gun quick, this is one of the funniest films of 2013. Accessible for Partridge novices and hugely rewarding for the faithful.
Not many side-splitting jokes, but a goofy glee is smeared across it all.
Slant Magazine by Nick Schager
Director Declan Lowney's film operates from a conceit that affords only minor opportunities for true hilarity.
The Telegraph by Robbie Collin
Alpha Papa’s biggest laughs explode from moments of pure inconsequence.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service by Roger Moore
It’s a comedy of sight gags, zingers and awkward pauses — lots of those. Sentimental at times, yes. But funny. Always.
Time Out London by Tom Huddleston
The film has plenty to recommend it, thanks to a string of memorable one-liners and Coogan’s unmatched knack for skin-crawling physical comedy. But this is a long way from the back-of-the-net strike it should have been.