Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Well, it has an edge and yes, it's raunchy, but "Horrible Bosses" is also very funny. Who hasn't had at least a fleeting brush with a horrible boss?
While not pleasant, most of us don't actively seek to kill the offending employer. Nick, Dale and Kurt (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) didn't start out with murder on their minds either. But after musing about their various plights, the idea takes root.
It has an edge and it's raunchy, but "Horrible Bosses" is also very funny.
Jennifer Aniston stars as Dale's boss, Dr. Julia Harris DDS, who takes sexual harassment to unprecedented levels. Kevin Spacey is chillingly psychotic as Dave Harken, Nick's employer who manipulates and positions his employees into positions of virtual servitude.
And then there's Colin Ferrell as Bobby Pellitt, the druggie son of a kind, conscientious business owner who unexpectedly dies and Bobby takes the helm of the company. Kurt now has to do his horrible boss's bidding, including firing beloved employees and abandoning responsible practices all so Bobby can milk the company dry. What to do?
The boys, with the help of a few beers, decide they would be doing everyone a great favor by ridding the world of these horrible bosses, so they decide to hire a hit man. Finally they stumble upon MF Jones (Jamie Foxx) who refuses to do the killing but will act as a consultant. What follows is sketchy, but hilarious.
Unlike "The Hangover" and films of that ilk, "Horrible Bosses" doesn't pack in outrage just for the sake of being raunchy. There is a smart script here that actually develops a plot, setting the stage for some memorable performances, especially the evil bosses.
Ferrell, Spacey and Aniston seem to be relishing the opportunity to just go for it. What about the victims? I particularly like Jason Bateman as the more rational, less frenetic Nick who is the anchor for a movie that could have simply been a non-directional spin-out.
Now, don't get me wrong. "Horrible Bosses" is raunchy and the language is stiff, but with 2 ½ stars, I chalk this up to a guilty pleasure. It's rated R.
