Horrible Bosses 1 & 2 (DVD & Cinema Screenings)

Horrible Bosses (DVD Screening)

(Spoiler free)

With Horrible Bosses 2 having been released last week, I thought to do the film justice I should really first see the original movie. I had heard so many mixed reviews of this movie, some really loved it and others said it was a waste of time so I grabbed the DVD so I could make my own mind up.

Personally I really enjoyed this movie. To start with there is a great cast, let’s start with the bosses. Kevin Spacey is always great to watch and here was no different, it’s obvious to see that he had fun with this role and he made for a great ‘Psycho’. Jennifer Aniston plays a saucy dentist who only has one thing on her mind, it was cool to see a bit of variety for Aniston as she almost always plays the same character in every film but here there is a unique role for her. Finally Colin Farrel completes the trio acting as a giant tool, unfortunately this character wasn’t as strong as the other two and it almost felt that he was created just to complete the concept – anyway he does the job just fine. The three leads, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis all have brilliant chemistry however it is Charlie Day and his character Dale who steal the show for me. Easily being the most likeable due to his humourous qualities Day brings so much energy and personality to this role which manages to carry the film through some of the more dull moments.

The story was pretty good, I liked the originality of the script and it was certainly like nothing I had seen before. The plot provided the framework for the comedy which was constant throughout. Now whilst Horrible Bosses was funny it wasn’t really laugh out loud hilarious however it isn’t that much of an issue because certain cast members are just so great to watch.  This made the film very watchable and even though the idea in the film is completely ludicrous and unrealistic the films plays out in a way where you can buy into the idea. So even though I didn’t laugh as much as I was maybe hoping to I was still really entertained and could easily see myself giving Horrible Bosses a repeat viewing! I’m excited to see the sequel as these characters have great chemistry together and there is potential for many more antics!

Horrible Bosses is an original and entertaining film, the great cast that the film secured does well for it and makes up for the lack of hard laughs but nonetheless Horrible Bosses was a solid movie which entertained me. Best scene has to be the scene in the car to The Ting Tings song. Check that bit out at least.

Biggest Flaw – Lack of laugh out loud moments

Biggest Achievement – Funny and entertaining script

Rating – 8/10

Horrible Bosses 2 (Cinema Screening)

(Spoiler free)

So the gang are back in the inevitable comedy sequel. The entire cast make a return in this sequel and a similar plot endures however instead of murdering their bosses this time they plan to kidnap the son (Chris Pine) of a business man (Christoph Waltz) who screwed them over in order to hold him for ransom.

Horrible Bosses 2 has everything that the original had but in typical sequel fashion everything is bigger and better. Firstly the cast has been added to bringing in some pretty A-list actors in the form of Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz. These additions only help to improve the film and the characters that these actors play bounce well off the existing ones. One of the best things about the original film was the chemistry between the three main characters and this has done nothing but improved in Horrible Bosses 2. The characters are even better together, they bring more laughs and are just as likeable, even more so than when we last saw them. Before Charlie Day stood out amongst the three however this time round they are more of team in terms of entertainment with each of them increasing what we loved about them so much in the first film. However there are a few moments in the movie where Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day’s characters are maybe just a little bit too stupid. The plot itself is insanely silly and that is okay but when two of the main characters enter too much into this as well there were a few issues, but nothing major – it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the film.

Like the first film it isn’t necessarily laugh out loud humour but it is really entertaining. There are more laughs than the first film for sure but it doesn’t stand up to the likes of Bad Neighbors and 22 Jump Street from earlier in the year.  Much like many comedies Horrible Bosses 2 gets a lot of its humour from popular culture references, but there really are some cracker moments and good laughs that come off the back of these. What the film also does is build on the jokes from the first film, meaning that it is definitely beneficial to have seen the first film if you want to be in on all the gags. I also liked the continuity that the film had, it has built up a really credible franchise and I could easily see a third film on its way. The film is 10 minutes short of the 2 hour mark but it doesn’t feel too long which is good going for a comedy. There really are some funny moments in this movie and it was easily enjoyable, stick around for the outtakes during the credits though because this is actually where I laughed most in the film.

If you were a fan of the first film you will be sure to enjoy this effort. Horrible Bosses 2 takes everything from its original film and improves on it, there are more laughs, a more developed plot and it’s just all round a better film. However the best thing about this film isn’t its bigger scale it is simply the chemistry between the three main characters which is greatly helped by the performances of the three lead actors. If nothing else the sequel was worth it just to see these three on screen together again.

BIGGEST FLAW – On a few occasions Kurt and Dale were just a bit too dumb

BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT – Chemistry of the three main characters

Rating – 8.5/10