Movie Review: Horrible Bosses

I haven’t seen a decent comedy in theaters for quite some time.  I endured Bridesmaids and Bad Teachers, both of which are mediocre, but not uproariously funny.  However, I caught Horrible Bosses recently, and I must say, I was pleasantly impressed.  The flick features an all-star cast comprised of Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Colin Farrell, Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston, and Kansas City’s own Jason Sudueikis.  Horrible Bosses is a raunchy, foul-mouthed, black comedy that will appeal to anyone who has ever suffered from an unbearable supervisor at work.  The film draws comedic elements from Office Space, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Bad Santa.  All in all, it contains far more plot than most R-rated laughapaloozas.  

Nick (Bateman) is a hardworking employee hoping to receive a promotion to be the company’s vice-president.  After busting his backside for 8 years, Bateman is infuriated to learn the venomous, sadistic president Dave Harken (Spacey) will also be taking over the responsibilities of vice-president.  When Bateman threatens to quit, Spacey’s character threatens him with a career-killing letter of nonrecommendation and blackmail.  

Nick’s friend Dale (Charlie Day) works as a assistant to an incredibly attractive, but perverse dentist (Jennifer Aniston), who frequently requests HR-violating sexual favors of Dale despite the fact he is engaged and even when a gassed-up, passed-out patient in the room.  

Another friend named Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) loves his job as an accountant at a chemical manufacturing company until his boss (Donald Sutherland) dies of a sudden heart attack.  Sutherland’s corrupt, coke head son (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) takes over the company and his first order of business is to terminate any overweight or crippled employees.  The son has absolutely no business acumen and no sense of style or social graces- Kurt described his dwelling as Sharper Image throwing up.  

So while venting about their miserable jobs at dinner one night, these three friends fantasize about what life would be like without their bosses.  Predictably, this hypothetical, happy hour scenario becomes a reality when they hire a hitman (Jamie Foxx) who ends up being a “murder consultant”.  From there, Horrible Bosses becomes a hilarious series of blunders as Kurt, Dale, and Nick plot, re-plot, then chicken out of proposed murder plans.  Deciding each boss could meet with a fatal “accident”, the guys plan the perfect crime, and then fail at every point along the way.  The three experience a transformation from middle-class, everyday guys to novice hitmen seeking advice from Jamie Foxx’s character.

There is nothing realistic about Horrible Bosses, and I don’t think the filmmakers expected the audience to believe the story.  It is meant as a outlandish comedy for individuals who have worked 9-5 jobs under an overbearing boss.  Kurt, Nick, and Dale resemble the Three Stooges, especially when they start smacking each other around for stupidity.  The film also explores a rarely discussed issue- sexual harassment in the workplace instigated by female employees.  Men harassing women is looked down upon nowadays, but wow seriously would a complaint to HR be taken if a Jennifer Anistonesque woman was the offender?


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