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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Movie Review: ‘Horrible Bosses 2’

HOLLYWOODREPORTER.COM In the new sequel "Horrible Bosses 2," Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) involve themselves in a scheme that spins out of control.
HOLLYWOODREPORTER.COM
In the new sequel “Horrible Bosses 2,” Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) involve themselves in a scheme that spins out of control.

★★☆☆☆

In their return, Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) are all very funny and charming. However, “Horrible Bosses 2” is not.

The time-honored trope about sequels failing to live up to the original film proves true in this movie, but it is especially disappointing because Bateman, Day, Sudeikis and their costars (including, but not limited to, Chris Pine, Kevin Spacey and Christoph Waltz) created high expectations for a truly memorable comedy.

“Horrible Bosses 2” details the struggle of Nick, Dale and Kurt, who endeavor to create their own business and become their own bosses, achieving disastrous results along the way. The three men are, shall we say, a little bit less than intelligent, and spend most of the film fumbling around, trying to figure out basic business principles.

The key conflict of the film centers on the friends’ deal to mass produce their product for a distribution company without signing a contract or receiving a down payment. When this goes awry, they spend the rest of the movie attempting to kidnap the CEO’s son (Pine) to hold him for ransom and get the production costs back.

Although the idea has some comic potential and strikes a chord for many people, the script and execution of the film leaves something to be desired. Many punch lines fall flat and feel a little stale and recycled. The individual actors generally did a good job with what they had, all things considered. As previously mentioned, Bateman, Day and Sudeikis are a winning combination, with genuine chemistry on screen (and off, if you stick around to watch the outtakes). They’re certainly savvy, with great timing and an ineffable group dynamic.

However, with Bateman and Day, it didn’t feel as though they were expanding their range of acting in any significant way. Bateman was the straight man in the film in the same way that his character Michael Bluth is the straight man in “Arrested Development.” Likewise, Day was the dim-witted, well-intentioned guy just like his character (named after himself) in “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” While it wouldn’t be fair to expect a great deal of character development in a blockbuster comedy like “Horrible Bosses 2,” it was fairly disappointing to see the actors confine themselves to almost exactly the same roles.

Christoph Waltz was similarly disappointing. His portrayal of a power-hungry, selfish CEO was not a failure, but it felt like a weak reprisal of past roles. For an actor with as much talent as Waltz, the expectation is higher for a truly hilarious and wonderful performance. Pine was occasionally entertaining as the spoiled, slightly insane son of Waltz, but his performance became repetitive and predictable very quickly.

As for Jennifer Aniston (Dr. Julia Harris), her performance is the most uncomfortable aspect to watch. While she looked great, her role was once again largely focused on the fact that she sexually harasses men in both her support group and her office. The real kicker is when she tries to extort Day’s character into sleeping with her and cheating on his wife by threatening that she will turn him over to the police. It’s possible to see some humor in her character, but ultimately her moments on screen elicit more awkward glances than genuine laughs.

There are undoubtedly some funny moments in “Horrible Bosses 2,” but most of the material feels a little tired and indistinct from the original movie. It’s one of those films where you see the trailer and you pretty much can feel like you’ve seen the whole thing. It’s also a frustrating conundrum, because the cast is truly all-star but the content of the film severely lacks comical prowess. If the script had been a little more refreshing and new, the film might have actually been a winner.

Regardless, “Horrible Bosses” is worth seeing if you’re desperate for a laugh and you’re a hardcore fan of one of the stars. Otherwise, I would stay home and watch “Arrested Development,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” or “Saturday Night Live” (the Sudeikis years, of course) — you’ll enjoy the same cast of characters at a much cheaper cost and with a lot more laughs.

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