Review of Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) by Jerome J — 01 Feb 2015

This time it's kidnaping.

It's strange how films reflect our climate, 2 years ago during the recession, Horrible Bosses was released; a film about taking vengeance on the millionaire tools who we work for, it was a film about justice and revenge, with sex jokes. So try to imagine a film without justice and revenge as a theme, that's Horrible Bosses 2, but don't worry... they have kept the sex jokes.

So what can be said for a film about 3 losers with some style who go on a crazy unplanned adventure together? Well quite a lot really, as there are A LOT of films fitting that outline, so what makes Horrible Bosses 2 different? Was it that Jason Bateman in it? No I mean what makes it REALLY different? Oh that's right. Nothing. So why watch the film you are wondering? Because, as much as it pains me to say this, it is hilarious.

Yes, Horrible Bosses 2 is a film that made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, it is sharp with its whit and clever with its references. Horrible Bosses was a movie that was confined to one single premise, but with Horrible Bosses 2 the writers were able to stretch their wings, and boy do they.

Sure the film doesn't have anything particularly imaginative in and it won't change the way you see the world, but it's a comedy about 3 idiots kidnapping a billionaires son, did we really expect Hamlet? I know I didn't and that's what made it funny.

The best stuff in Horrible Bosses 2 is when Nick, Kurt and Dale are left to their own devices. It's clear that Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day are naturally funny people, you can see it just by the way they are on screen. When it's just the 3 of them talking or interacting comedy happens, however as so often with great groups the bigger the group the less time for jokes.

It's interesting to see Chris Pine and Christoph Walz join the team as Bret and Rex Hanson. These are two men I would not directly connect with comedy, yet here they are doing just fine in Horrible Bosses 2. It's good to see Christoph Walz chewing the screen up with his deadpan performance as Bert, but I'm starting to think the man is typecast as a villain forever. What surprised me about Horrible Bosses 2 is how good Chris Pine really is, you can see he is truly enjoying himself but he plays an all-out lunatic in Rex. I never knew he had it in him. Just in case we thought we could forget Kevin Spacy and Jennifer Aniston drop in for an appearance. I've always enjoyed seeing Spacey try and convert his natural menacing persona into funny.

Horrible Bosses 2 is a movie that I enjoyed more looking back at it than I did at the time, I'm sure some people will LOVE it, but for me it ticked all the boxes for a strong comedy about 3 guys with no clue. Horrible Bosses 2 is like if The Inbetweeners were adults.