Movie Info
Movie Name: Horrible Bosses
Studio: New Line Cinema
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): June 30, 2011 (Premiere)/July 8, 2011 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
That is a really lame origin Motherfucker…
Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), Dale Arbus (Charlie Day), and Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis) all love their jobs but hate their bosses. Nick’s boss David Harken (Kevin Spacey) is out-and-out evil, Dale’s boss Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) is sex-crazed, and Kurt finds that Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell) is determined to run his company into the ground after the death of his father (Donald Sutherland). With a plot to off each other’s bosses with the help of an ex-con named Dean “Motherfucker” Jones (Jamie Foxx), the average workers must become stone-cold killers.
Directed by Seth Gordon, Horrible Bosses spent years in development hell with different cast and directors tied to the script. The black comedy became a big hit and was generally praised by critics.
It will be mine!
As proven by movies like Office Space and 9 to 5, people have fantasies about taking control of their work life and turning bad situations better. I like this premise for movies and there have been a number of movies about putting it to “the Man” by the underpaid and underappreciated workforce. Horrible Bosses is a nice addition to this dark comedy genre though nothing special.
The script has a lot of laughs but I can’t say it isn’t rather predictable. The group is intentionally one of the worst criminals, but how the script is written it is pretty easy to tell what will come back and bite them and where the story is going next. In that sense, Horrible Bosses is a little lazy in the writing, but the acting and timing of the cast does help prevent it from being “un-funny”.
I do what I want!!!
I love Jason Bateman and in this movie he essentially plays…Jason Bateman. I am more lukewarm to Charlie Day (I am not a fan of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Jason Sudeikis (who is good in some stuff but rather bland). Both actors work here and as a trio they have good chemistry. The movie is also aided by the “villains” of Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Colin Farrell who do make you want to murder them. While Jamie Foxx’s role was important, I thought his character was a bit over the top and cartoonish for the rest of the movie. The movie also features small roles by Julie Bowen, Donald Sutherland, Ioan Guffudd and Bob Newhart.
Did I have food on my neck?
The movie is a pretty standard comedy in its look, but it is put together nicely. It is a very contemporary script with lots of jokes that will date over time. References, technology, and things like Angry Birds might not hold up for viewers in ten to fifteen years, but it does work here and now.
Horrible Bosses is a fun and harmless little romp but not the best of revenge comedies. I don’t know that I’ll remember much of it in a few years or see me quoting the lines like some other laugh-out-loud comedies, but it is enjoyable. Horrible Bosses was followed by Horrible Bosses 2 in 2014.
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