(Pretty strong argument for being self-employed, eh?)
CAST: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Donald Sutherland.
DIRECTOR: Seth Gordon
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and three bosses from hell - straight ahead…
I thought THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (review # ) was a hilarious film. Watching an icy, imperious, high-powered fashion editor played with glacial perfection by Her Royal Highness Meryl Streep, terrorize her lowly assistants played by Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, was an utter hoot. Fortunately, I’ve never had a boss quite like Dame Streep’s character, and so it was easy to find the film funny.
Now, imagine the premise of THE DEVILWEARS PRADA, then multiply it by three by making the protagonists three guys who have three different bosses - all colossal assholes. Then tweak it even more by having the three dudes fight back by… conspiring to kill off their bosses. Suddenly, we’re playing on a completely different field here, boys and girls. The kind that Alfred Hitchcock could’ve mined for thrills.
But, no… HORRIBLE BOSSES goes the comedy route. Apparently, murder is a laughing matter. And it’s even funnier when your, ahem, “murder consultant” is Jamie Foxx. But before we get to him, let’s meet our three heroes/would-be murderers. They are: (1) Nick (Jason Bateman), an ambitious corporate climber with a raging psycho for a boss (Kevin Spacey; (2) Dale (Charlie Day), nebbish dental tech whose lascivious maneater boss (Jennifer Aniston) permanently has her tongue stuck in his ear; and (3) Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), a mellow sales rep whose beloved boss (Donald Sutherland) has just croaked from a heart-attack and been replaced by his coke-snorting tool of a son (Colin Farrell).
Guess what these guys talk about at Happy Hour? First two don’t count.
At any rate, Nick, Dale, and Kurt eventually decide that they have two choices: (1) quit, or (2) kill their bosses. Guess which one they choose. Yup: enter Jamie Foxx as our “murder consultant.” His name is Dean Jones, but given that is the most unlikely moniker for a “murder consultant” he goes by the much edgier identifier of, ahem, “Mo-Fo.” Which is good, because the bar that Mo-Fo hangs out in looks like the kind of place that would sooner beat a “Dean Jones” into a pulp than serve him anything.
Long story short, Mo-Fo advises our three murderous dipshits to make their bosses’ deaths look like accidents. “Keep it simple,” he counsels them, as if they were asking for advice on how furnish their man-caves at home. Before you know it, Nick, Dale, and Kurt are hatching a plan to bring their bosses down - literally.
But will it work? Will our doofus trio actually pull it off? Or will one (or more) of their bosses realize their dastardly plan? And if so, what will the do about it? Do our heroes have something up their sleeve? And how will they use it? And the most important question of all: does Mo-Fo cause any commotions when he goes to class reunions. Such as in:
CLASSMATE: Hi, Mo-Fo, I used to play soccer with you. I’m a dry-cleaning store owner. What are you up to?
MO-FO: I’m a murder consultant.
CLASSMATE: (after a five-second pause). I think I see old Tommy Hinkhouser over there. I’m gonna say hi. Be right back…
(classmates vamooses it the fuck outta there….)
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Some critics have made it sound like HORRIBLE BOSSES is this year’s THE HANGOVER. Not quite. Although it’s obvious that the producers were using somewhat of the same template with their approach: three friends caught in a situation that would normally be considered dire, but is played for laughs. In THE HANGOVER it was the search for a missing friends after a Bacchanalian bachelor party. In HORRIBLE BOSSES, it’s trying to kill of three difficult employers.
HORRIBLE BOSSES is funny enough, but it’s nowhere near as hilarious as THE HANGOVER - or even as funny as many critics themselves are making it out to be. The main reason is because the central premise is just far too unbelievable. THE HANGOVER was one of those rare comedies that actually sprung from a completely plausible scenario: three friends get so drunk that they forget where they left the fourth one. As a result, the characters and situations were relatable and that is crucial for comic gold.
HORRIBLE BOSSES is more like comic silver. It’s just not possible for us to believe that three educated guys would resort to murder to get rid of their bosses. The result is humor that must be taken with a grain of salt. Not thigh-slappingly funny, but not lame either. It is a solid enough comedy that is highlighted by decent performances from everyone involved. The standouts are Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, and Jamie Foxx. These three mine their roles for maximum laughs. Everytime their characters are onscreen, HORRIBLE BOSSES climbs a notch. It’s because of them that this reaches a fairly high rating of ***½ (good).
In the end, all I have to say is this: don’t believe the hype: HORRIBLE BOSSES is not the funniest comedy of the year. Go in expecting that and you will be sorely disappointed. However, go in expecting solid entertainment that will divert you for a couple of hours (while not exactly suspending your disbelief), then you will do just fine.
