by Robbie Jones
Be honest: Have you ever hated your boss? NEver gotten along with the person paying you? It’s a common aspect of working life, but have you ever hated them so much you wanted to kill them? That’s the case for the three main characters of Horrible Bosses. Today sees the release of Horrible Bosses 2, so let’s take a look back at the side splitting first instalment.
Be honest: Have you ever hated your boss? NEver gotten along with the person paying you? It’s a common aspect of working life, but have you ever hated them so much you wanted to kill them? That’s the case for the three main characters of Horrible Bosses. Today sees the release of Horrible Bosses 2, so let’s take a look back at the side splitting first instalment.
Nick, Dale and Kurt (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) are average guys suffering abuse form their bosses: Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey), who torments Nick on a daily basis, Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farell), a coked up moron who inherited his father’s company, and Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston), a dentist who sexually harasses Dale despite his objections. The three find themselves unable to achieve happiness as long as they’re employed under these arseholes, and come up with the crazy idea to kill their bosses. But of course, things don’t exactly go to plan....
Is Horrible Bosses one of the best comedies of the last 10 years? No, not really. It’s fair to say that it’s outdone by several modern comedy releases. However, it’s still freaking hilarious. And somewhat risky too. You know those comedies that sound good on paper, but upon execution you realise it was a bad idea? Horrible Bosses had the potential to be exactly that. Three guys get fed up of their bosses and try to kill them. It’s stupid, and in some cases relatable, and therefore quite appealing to some. But everything can still go wrong, and it could even become more stupid than it needs to be. Lucky for us, the film was put in capable hands, and we were treated to this great film.
Is Horrible Bosses one of the best comedies of the last 10 years? No, not really. It’s fair to say that it’s outdone by several modern comedy releases. However, it’s still freaking hilarious. And somewhat risky too. You know those comedies that sound good on paper, but upon execution you realise it was a bad idea? Horrible Bosses had the potential to be exactly that. Three guys get fed up of their bosses and try to kill them. It’s stupid, and in some cases relatable, and therefore quite appealing to some. But everything can still go wrong, and it could even become more stupid than it needs to be. Lucky for us, the film was put in capable hands, and we were treated to this great film.
It’s writing, whilst not consistently perfect (the conversations about who would get raped more in prison aren’t great), knocks it out of the park when it needs to, resulting in some hilarious moments. But what really makes the script funny and makes the film as enjoyable is its lead performances. Jason Bateman is one of the most reliable men in comedy; you can count on him to turn in great performances, and this film is no exception. He brings the perfect level of wit and sarcasm towards his two bumbling co-stars, who are equally. Jason Sudeikis is one of the funniest actors working today and Charlie Day is well loved for his TV work, with his talents translating well to film, and whilst he spends most of it panicking in a high pitched voice, it turns out that’s all he needs to do to fulfil his role. Whilst Spacey and Aniston do great jobs in their roles (The former proving to everyone that he isn’t just a serious actor and actually quite hilarious, the latter actually coming off as quite scary at times), Colin Farell is a weak link in the cast. He’s horribly miscast, with his performance coming off as somewhat uncomfortable to watch. Maybe with an actor better suited to the character, it would’ve worked well, however his performance just falls flat.
Horrible Bosses is a great comedy that borders on crazy at times, and whilst it won’t make any “Greatest comedies of all time” lists, it’s a enjoyable flick with strong performances and a great concept that could essentially go wrong in every way but thankfully didn’t. The sequel, which has added Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz to it’s roster, looks just as hilarious, so let’s hope it delivers.
Horrible Bosses 2 is out now. Read Jo's review now
Horrible Bosses is a great comedy that borders on crazy at times, and whilst it won’t make any “Greatest comedies of all time” lists, it’s a enjoyable flick with strong performances and a great concept that could essentially go wrong in every way but thankfully didn’t. The sequel, which has added Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz to it’s roster, looks just as hilarious, so let’s hope it delivers.
Horrible Bosses 2 is out now. Read Jo's review now
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