Horrible Bosses 2 (2014) Directed by Sean Anders. Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day. IMDB says: “Dale, Kurt and Nick decide to start their own business but things don’t go as planned because of a slick investor, prompting the trio to pull off a harebrained and misguided kidnapping scheme.”
“I FUCKING LOVE SANDRA BULLOCK!!”
Unlike Dumb and Dumber To, I had no idea this movie was coming. I saw maybe one trailer for it and then forgot about it. I didn’t catch any glimpses of TV spots or even banners online. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places or maybe I was being distracted by all of the hype and attention for Dumb and Dumber To. Regardless, if you are looking for a comedy sequel to watch this holiday season, Horrible Bosses 2 is the one to watch. Holy hell did this film catch me off guard. As hard as I laughed, the audience laughed even harder. I might have to rewatch this just to hear all of the extra jokes and dialogue I missed.
Horrible Bosses 2 see the return of Dale, Kurt, and Nick (Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, and Jason Bateman respectively) and they have become their own bosses. They’ve developed a product and are looking for distribution. They cross paths with businessman Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz) and his son Rex (a scene stealing Chris Pine) and get thrown over a barrel and shown the 50 states. As retaliation, the gang decides to kidnap Rex and hold him ransom to cover their loss. What unfolds is a super funny movie that delivers fresh takes on concepts and scenes that could’ve easily been seen as cliché.
You might be thinking, “Nick, this is just a movie where Charlie Day is being Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis is being Jason Sudeikis, and Jason Bateman is being Jason Bateman.” And yeah, at times it feels that way, but it works. The chemistry between these three and their delivery absolutely works word for word, sentence for sentence. Honestly, they could hold the movie on their own without the help of recurring characters (played by Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx) but seeing these characters in new situations is an added delight. As funny as Day, Sudeikis, and Bateman are, Chris Pine adds a new, almost darker level of humor as he nearly steals every scene he is in. And this movie gets pretty raunchy too. A few lines and jokes had me uncomfortable and even the audience gasped before exploding into uproarious laughter.
The only downside of the movie is the length. It does feel a bit long in the second act, but it’s all worth it as this is a comedy of errors (and I can’t stress errors enough). The soundtrack feels a bit dated and uninspired, but the songs they do use are used sparingly. This film is worth seeing in theatres, but I know you’ll fare better when you can rent it so you can rewind and rewatch for jokes you’ve missed.
FTS SCORE: 81%