Two essential Hollywood Rules for considering HORRIBLE BOSSES 2: 1) Sequels are never equals and 2) Absolutes are never entirely accurate.
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, as the title makes painfully obvious, is a sequel to the ultra-broad 2011 (three year old) comedy HORRIBLE BOSSES out of the HAROLD & KUMAR / HANGOVER / DUMB AND DUMBER school. The original was somewhat scattershot with three friends attempting a comedic three-way variation on Hitchcock's classic STRANGERS ON A TRAIN plot and doing in each others' outrageous eponymous employers. OF COURSE it doesn't go as planned - only one of the bosses doesn't make it to the final credit roll and our heroes are free for the sequel under consideration here.
This time the writing is rather more focused (only one crime motivated by one spectacular rip-off the three pals suffer in their first independent business venture together). The film being riffed on is technically every kidnap flick you've ever seen, but hews remarkably close to another superior comedy, RUTHLESS PEOPLE (the 1986 Danny DeVito/Bette Midler opus).
OF COURSE the plan(s) "gang aft agley." Particularly aft...and in ways calculated to set up yet another sequel (what's a franchise without a trilogy?), but if the writing and acting maintains this basically funny a level with Jason Bateman a slightly dim voice of reason to ground the dithering of his clueless cohorts, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day, few will be seriously complaining.
The surviving bosses of the first film, the now jailed Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston as the libidinous therapist, return here in more peripheral roles (and promise to be around for the remainder of the franchise), as does the "deus ex criminal machina," Jamie Fox. It is the new STARTREK's "Kirk," Chris Pine (playing off his "all surface" image to indicate some real acting ability here), as "Rex" and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS' Chrisoph Waltz as his nefarious industrialist father "Burt Hanson" who take center stage this time as the "horribles" with deliciously wicked two faced performances - sometimes more - although it is more of an open question who the BOSSES are in this case. What the heck?! We had six marvelous THIN MAN films and the titular thin man was only in the first.
As the double entendre ads for the film trumpet: "new crime, same tools." Sean Anders (who also directed) and John Morris' screenplay dangerously quotes from the specifics of the failed plans from the uneven first film, but keep the comic drive on target and a good time is had by all - seemingly even those who ultimately get shot. The "R" rating is basically tied to several over the top rude speeches and general sexual references which are, in context, surprisingly innocent - although one of our heroes does "get some" in a clever turnabout of circumstances.
Hardly the high comedy of those THIN MAN films, but a better structured and actually funnier film than the original; HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 is a perfectly fine way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, as the title makes painfully obvious, is a sequel to the ultra-broad 2011 (three year old) comedy HORRIBLE BOSSES out of the HAROLD & KUMAR / HANGOVER / DUMB AND DUMBER school. The original was somewhat scattershot with three friends attempting a comedic three-way variation on Hitchcock's classic STRANGERS ON A TRAIN plot and doing in each others' outrageous eponymous employers. OF COURSE it doesn't go as planned - only one of the bosses doesn't make it to the final credit roll and our heroes are free for the sequel under consideration here.
This time the writing is rather more focused (only one crime motivated by one spectacular rip-off the three pals suffer in their first independent business venture together). The film being riffed on is technically every kidnap flick you've ever seen, but hews remarkably close to another superior comedy, RUTHLESS PEOPLE (the 1986 Danny DeVito/Bette Midler opus).
OF COURSE the plan(s) "gang aft agley." Particularly aft...and in ways calculated to set up yet another sequel (what's a franchise without a trilogy?), but if the writing and acting maintains this basically funny a level with Jason Bateman a slightly dim voice of reason to ground the dithering of his clueless cohorts, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day, few will be seriously complaining.
The surviving bosses of the first film, the now jailed Kevin Spacey and Jennifer Aniston as the libidinous therapist, return here in more peripheral roles (and promise to be around for the remainder of the franchise), as does the "deus ex criminal machina," Jamie Fox. It is the new STARTREK's "Kirk," Chris Pine (playing off his "all surface" image to indicate some real acting ability here), as "Rex" and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS' Chrisoph Waltz as his nefarious industrialist father "Burt Hanson" who take center stage this time as the "horribles" with deliciously wicked two faced performances - sometimes more - although it is more of an open question who the BOSSES are in this case. What the heck?! We had six marvelous THIN MAN films and the titular thin man was only in the first.
As the double entendre ads for the film trumpet: "new crime, same tools." Sean Anders (who also directed) and John Morris' screenplay dangerously quotes from the specifics of the failed plans from the uneven first film, but keep the comic drive on target and a good time is had by all - seemingly even those who ultimately get shot. The "R" rating is basically tied to several over the top rude speeches and general sexual references which are, in context, surprisingly innocent - although one of our heroes does "get some" in a clever turnabout of circumstances.
Hardly the high comedy of those THIN MAN films, but a better structured and actually funnier film than the original; HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 is a perfectly fine way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.