Movie Review: HORRIBLE BOSSES

HORRIBLE BOSSES

2011
R

Horrible Bosses is a 2011 comedy directed by Seth Gordon that centers around three friends' hatred with their superiors at work. Nick (Jason Bateman) works for a large company where he hopes to receive a promotion from his cruel boss Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey). Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) works for a small chemical engineering company that's thrown into disarray when the former owner's son Bobby (Colin Farrell) is put in charge. Dale (Charlie Day) is a newly-engaged man who works for a sexual deviant dentist named Julia (Jennifer Aniston). One night, while the three friends talk over drinks, they run across the idea that their lives would be infinitely better if their bosses were no longer in them. Through that, they stumble upon the plan to murder one another's bosses so as to eliminate their frustration. With the help of a murder consultant named Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx), the three men set into motion a plan that will release them from any motive as they try to kill Dave, Bobby and Julia. As one can imagine, however, things don't necessarily go according to plan.

When I first heard about Horrible Bosses, I can honestly say that I was a tad bit worried about its concept and its overall potential for success. I know that there's been a bit of an upwelling against Jason Bateman in the past couple years, considering that a number of his films haven't necessarily performed exceptionally well. Add to the fact that I wasn't very fond of Jason Sudeikis's performance in Hall Pass, and you can see the reasons behind my doubt. Still, being a fan of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" - and especially of Charlie Day's character on that show - gave me some reason to think that Horrible Bosses could get off the ground. Then I started to see the laundry list of actors who would be featured in the film. It would have been enough to have Kevin Spacey even making a cameo in this one, but when you add the likes of Colin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx, there's sure to be some fantastic performances placed before us on-screen.

I can honestly say that the actors do not disappoint. Charlie Day steals the show - although I had no doubt in my mind that he would - from Bateman and Sudeikis, but even they do enough to make their characters likable and engaging. However, the real meat of the performances has to come from the supporting characters. Spacey is a revelation, as always, and it's great to see him dabbling in a little bit of comedy. His character is downright nasty, and it works perfectly within the film. Farrell had a little less screen-time than I would've liked, but he plays the part of "tool" to perfection. And I honestly can't say enough about Miss Aniston, who brings a performance to the screen unlike any I've ever seen her bring. If you're looking for shock factor, you need not look past her. Add to the fact that we've got some cameos from other recognizable stars, including Donald Sutherland, Lindsay Sloane, John Francis Daley, Ioan Gruffudd, Julie Bowen and Ron White, and you've got quite an impressive cast list. (Oh, and for those of you paying extremely close attention, you'll notice a very brief cameo from Isaiah Mustafa, better known as the "Old Spice guy").

Now, the screenplay also works relatively well, even if it's a little far-fetched at times. The plot gets a little goofy here and there, but when you've got three bumbling fools as your leads, then you're sure to have some wild antics ready and waiting. There are a few twists and turns here and there, but it's nothing wildly out of the ordinary. However, the dialogue - which constitutes a strong portion of a screenplay's effectiveness - is witty and feels rather fresh. Yes, the actors definitely delivered it well, but someone had to write it, right? The dialogue boosts the screenplay all the more.

Is Horrible Bosses one of the best comedies I've ever seen? Well, I wouldn't quite go that far. That being said, however, I'm not quite sure I've laughed this hard during a movie since the original Hangover back in 2009. It's a goofy bit of funny, but there's definitely some genuine laughs to be had throughout the film. I can honestly give this film my recommendation, and I don't think you'll be disappointed by going to see it. Charlie Day alone makes this film worth watching, but the fact that we're given a number of great performances to enjoy makes it all the more hilarious.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A-
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: PAUL

PAUL

2011
R

Paul is a 2011 sci-fi comedy directed by Greg Mottola. It follows two nerdy Brits - Clive (Nick Frost) and Graeme (Simon Pegg) - as they travel the United States in search of famous locations of alien encounter after spending time at Comic-Con in San Diego. As they're making their way across the American Southwest in their rented RV, they watch as a smaller car spins out of control in front of them in the middle of the highway in the middle of the night. When the two get out to investigate, they meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an human-savvy extra-terrestrial who claims to be on the lam from some sort of government agency. The two men reluctantly agree to help Paul in reaching his final destination, which he only says lies somewhere north of their present location. The trio starts their quest for this place, encountering opposition from a special agent named Zoil (Jason Bateman) while befriending a lonely, intelligent design-ist named Ruth Buggs (Kristen Wiig). The group slowly makes their way towards their final destination where Paul hopes to leave Earth for good.

I've known about Paul for quite a while, mostly because of my slight obsession with the past endeavors of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. They smashed onto the movie scene with 2004's Shaun of the Dead and upped the ante with 2007's Hot Fuzz. In both films, they turned a certain film type (zombie/romantic comedy and buddy cop flick, respectively) on their ears, and with Paul, they were trying to do the same with the sci-fi adventure. And while it's not quite at the level of their previous two films, Pegg and Frost definitely do enough with this one to make it an enjoyable venture.

The storyline really isn't much to applaud. We've basically got your standard road trip flick infused with some teenage-oriented raunchy comedy to fill our appetites. I'm sure that alone doesn't sound entirely appealing, but for this group of people, it finds a way to work. However, the real strength with the screenplay is the references to classic films past. Like Rango, Paul pays rather often homage to the great films that have come before it. Here's a short list of the films that I definitely found reference to: Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, Lorenzo's Oil, The Karate Kid, and Back to the Future. Some of the references are larger than others - Star Wars and Close Encounters get their respectful due - but this proves to be a movie that will appeal to those geeks (like me!) who have seen films like the ones listed above.

The level of acting also isn't quite up to the standards that Pegg/Frost films have set in the past, but it's good enough for you to care about the characters on-screen. Pegg and Frost may deliver characters most like their actual personalities in this one, making this one really seem like a labor of love. Wiig is good for a few hilarious scenes as she gets over her obsession with intelligent design. And Rogen is actually very good as the titular character. I think he works best as a voice actor - we get that distinctive voice without actually having to see him act. In addition to the aforementioned actors, be on the lookout for the following actors: Jeffrey Tambor, Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Blythe Danner, and even a voiced cameo from Steven Spielberg.

All in all, Paul is a fine addition to the Pegg/Frost partnership despite not being quite up to snuff with its predecessors. It's still a fun watch, especially if you're a fan of these two clowns. And if you're a fan of the classic sci-fi films from years past, you should probably do yourself a favor and take in Paul while you can before he blasts off and leaves Earth for good.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B
2 Thumbs Up