Horrible Bosses 2 review

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2:

HORRIBLE BOSSES, PASSABLE SEQUEL, FUNNY MOMENTS, BUT NOT AS ORIGINAL OR WITTY AS ITS PREDECESSOR!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: ** 1/2 out of 4

WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND NEW LINE CINEMA

(From left to right) Jamie Foxx, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Christoph Waltz, Jason Sudeikis, and Chris Pine in more comedic situations in Horrible Bosses 2

            Everyone’s favorite goofy criminal trio, Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Juno, This is Where I Leave You), Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Pacific Rim, Monsters University), and Jason Sudeikis (Drinking Buddies, Epic, We’re the Millers) from the 2011 comedy hit, Horrible Bosses return as Nick Hendricks, Dale Arbus, and Kurt Buckman in the sequel, Horrible Bosses 2. Now, I can admit, I love the first Horrible Bosses movie, sure it’s goofy and has a few problems, but for the most part I was laughing HARD, the plot was ingeniously silly, the humor, while dumb made me laugh, and Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis were a very odd trio that led to a lot of comedic moments, plus I have to give credit to Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, and Colin Farrell’s performances as the “Horrible Bosses” themselves.

            However when I first heard they were going to make a sequel to this movie, I had very low expectations and it certainly didn’t help that director, Sean Anders was sitting in the director’s chair after directing one of the most hated Adam Sandler movie of the past few years and no, it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.

            My expectations were mainly low because of the past comedy sequels like The Hangover II and III, Grown Ups 2, and most recently Dumb and Dumber To. But we had a few decent comedy sequels before like 22 Jump Street, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, however most of the time comedy sequels are rarely good.

            And to my surprise, my low expectations grew…a little, Horrible Bosses 2 thankfully had moments that made me laugh hysterically and the chemistry between the trio is still very humorous, but there’s no comparison, the first film is the golden comedy, but this sequel certainly isn’t the worst comedy sequel out there, believe me I’ve seen much worse.

            After the events of Horrible Bosses, we find straight man, Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman), boy toy, Dale Arbus, and sex lover, Kurt Buckman deciding to launch their own business so they would never have to “Take Sh*t” from anyone ever again with their new invention, the Shower Buddy. A businessman named Burt Hanson (Christoph Waltz-Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained) comes in and agrees to buy the product and give them a ton of money for the idea.

            Unfortunately things suddenly go very sour when he decides to cancel the deal he made with Nick, Dale, and Kurt and thus leading them in yet another scenario very similar to their boss killing heist a few years ago. In comes their murder consultant, Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx-Django Unchained, White House Down, The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Nick’s old boss, now in prison, David Harken (Kevin Spacey-The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns, American Beauty) agreeing to help them execute a plan to kidnap Hanson’s son, Rex Hanson (Chris Pine-Star Trek, Rise of the Guardians, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) and hold him for ransom.

            Pretty much, the film is exactly what you’d expect, if you’ve seen the first movie, car chases, idiotic plans, oh yeah, and Jennifer Aniston (Bruce Almighty, Just Go With It, We’re the Millers) is back as Dr. Julia Harris and is part of a Sex Addiction therapy group, that’s funnier seen than heard.

            Overall, Horrible Bosses 2 is simply an okay comedy sequel, it has some funny moments to laugh at, the humor certainly feels less awkward than other comedy sequels that just rehash the same jokes from the predecessor, and the performances are likeably goofy. But I would still say the first Horrible Bosses is the better option, the humor is more original, the premise is stupid but manages to be clever and witty at the same time, and it’s a film anyone with a stressful job and aggressive bosses can relate to.

            I’m certain, there are people who will really enjoy this sequel, sure not every joke works, but there should be something in there to get a laugh out of you, especially if your boss gives himself a promotion instead of you, sexually harasses you, or is very offensive to overweight and handicapped people. So if you enjoyed the first movie, you’ll probably enjoy parts of the sequel, but if you want something that’s sure to have you laughing until you’re breathless, I’d say wait until Christmas Day when The Interview comes out.