Synopsis: Tired of always answering to others, Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) go into business for themselves. After demonstrating the prototype for an invention called the Shower Buddy, the guys attract the attention of Rex Hanson and his father, Bert. Bert invests in the trio’s product, then cancels the order and steals their idea. Now heavily in debt and with no legal recourse, Nick, Dale and Kurt decide to kidnap Rex and use the ransom money to pay off their loans.
Release Date: November 26, 2014 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Comedy,
Film Review
Production
Those three bumbling fools from Horrible Bosses who couldn’t criminalize their way out of a paper bag are back in Horrible Bosses 2. This time around, Nick (Jason Bateman from “Arrested Development,” Bad Words), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis from We’re The Millers,”Saturday Night Live”), and Dale (Charlie Day from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) are their own bosses, having invented the Shower Buddy, an all-in-one shower head that washes, shampoos, and rinses automatically. After an awkward appearance on a television morning news show to promote their product, they land a distribution deal with a mail-order company run by Bert Hanson (Django Unchained‘s Christoph Waltz) and his unruly son, Rex (Chris Pine, better known as Captain Kirk from the Star Trek reboots). Bert orders 100,000 units of the Shower Buddy, and as soon as the guys are ready to deliver, he cancels the order, revealing that he can now wait for the bank to foreclose on their factory, allowing him to buy the product for pennies on the dollar. Having learned nothing from their last round of lawless exploits, Nick, Kurt, and Dale come up with a plan to kidnap Rex and demand ransom from Bert for the safe return of his son. After their kidnapping attempt fails, Rex decides that he wants in, and agrees to be kidnapped – only Rex wants to raise the ransom amount and keep a sizeable share for himself. With Rex’s help, the guys reluctantly come up with a harebrained scheme to extort money from Bert, but none of them have nearly enough of a criminal mind to pull it off.
Horrible Bosses 2 is a sequel in name only; it uses many of the same characters as Horrible Bosses, but the film does not depend on the events of the first film. The screenplay was written by Sean Anders and John Morris (the team responsible for the comedy hits Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Hot Tub Time Machine), and it stands completely on its own merits. Anders also directed Horrible Bosses 2, but his job may have been made easier by the talented cast that was already assembled. Of course, all three principals from the first film are back. Also returning are ex-bosses Jennifer Aniston (We’re The Millers) and Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”) who, despite their limited screen time, steal every single scene that they are in. Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Ray) is back as well as M’er F’er Jones, the “crime consultant” to the hapless wannabes. During filming, Anders would shoot each scene as written a couple of times, then let the actors have a crack at making it their own. This freedom gives the film a very improvisational and natural feel. The relaxed interplay between the characters is natural and seamless. And hysterical. Definitely hysterical.
A comedy with brains is a rare thing in today’s cinematic climate, but that’s just what Horrible Bosses 2 is. It’s got loads of laughs, but they don’t come at the expense of the story; there’s a movie there, too. It may not be Chinatown, but it’s a fun caper movie that’s full of unexpected twists, red herrings, and call-backs that keep the audience on its toes, even when it’s laughing its head off. Horrible Bosses 2 combines likeable characters with a clever story and pulls out a ton of laughs.
Comedy Factor
Horrible Bosses 2 is absolutely hilarious. The comedic timing between Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day is impeccable. All three are television actors who are very experienced with improvisation, and the fact that this is their second time around with these characters doesn’t hurt, either. The three leads have a hysterical chemistry that amounts to an almost 3 Stooges-type lovable loser kind of vibe. Every sort of comedic device imaginable is included in Horrible Bosses 2. There are bits that spring from the typical sitcom-like misunderstandings. There’s plenty of verbal wit and wordplay. There’s a lot of physical comedy and a ton of sight gags. There are even a few places where the humor comes from the characters taking things just a little too far (most of these moments are thanks to Jennifer Aniston, a fact which will come as no surprise to those familiar with Horrible Bosses). It all adds up to a movie that is side-splitting from beginning to end. Horrible Bosses 2 is full of non-stop laughs.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Sean Anders
- Producer(s):
- Screenwriter(s): Sean AndersJohn Morris
- Story:
- Cast: Jason Bateman (Nick Hendricks)Jason Sudeikis (Kurt Buckman)Charlie Day (Dale Arbus) Jennifer Aniston (Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S.)Kevin Spacey (Dave Harken)Jamie Foxx (Dean “MF” Jones)Chris Pine (Rex Hanson)Christoph Waltz (Bert Hanson)Jonathan Banks (Detective Hatcher)
- Editor(s): Eric Kissack
- Cinematographer: Julio Macat
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score: Christopher Lennertz
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA