Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Chris Pine, and Christoph Waltz
Horrible Bosses was one of the first few films I reviewed when Sobriety Test Movie Reviews made its debut on the web. Looking back at the review I wrote nearly three and a half years ago now, I simply cringe. The points I make are still valid, but the manner in which I make them is in no way consistent with my writing style today. Reflecting on all of this with today's release of Horrible Bosses 2, it's incredible to look at just how far I've come while running this website. That being said, it's a holiday week, and you're all looking to determine what to see in your time off between that tasty turkey and maddening shopping. If you're planning to go see Horrible Bosses 2, plan otherwise. I know it sounds harsh, but I'm trying to help you maximize your time this week.
After the events of the first Horrible Bosses, Nick, Kurt, and Dale (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, & Charlie Day) are looking to get away from the life of being someone else's employee. Looking to become their own bosses, they develop a product known as the Shower Buddy (or the Shower Daddy) to make people's lives easier during that daily routine. After showcasing their new invention on the local morning news one day, the trio gets the attention of Rex Hanson (Chris Pine) and his father Burt (Christoph Waltz). When they reject an offer from Rex to buy them out for several million dollars, the elder Hanson makes them an offer they can't refuse. He calls a banker he knows to get them a $500,000 loan and places and order for 100,000 units of the Shower Buddy.
Looks can be deceiving. Though Burt Hanson placed an order with Nick, Kurt, & Dale, he never intended to pay for it. When the time comes, he reneges on his deal with our lead trio and puts their fledgling business straight on course for bankruptcy. Facing certain financial ruin, the trio turns to David Harken (Kevin Spacey) and Dean "Motherfucker" Jones (Jamie Foxx) for advice on how to deal with their crisis. While an imprisoned Harken laughs them off, Jones recommends that they kidnap Rex to extract financial concessions from the elder Hanson. To make this idea a reality, Nick, Kurt, and Dale must steal laughing gas from one of their former bosses, sex addict Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston).
With all eyes fixed on Ferguson, Missouri this week and the latest injustice done upon Michael Brown and his family, I'm sure that many moviegoers could probably use a laugh. Unfortunately, Horrible Bosses 2 is not where you're going to find it. Playing on stale gags from its predecessor and offering no new or original humor, the film mostly falls flat. I can only take so many jokes based on the characters' colossal stupidity, and director Sean Anders far exceeds my limit. There needs to be some creative spark that fuels the humor, and Horrible Bosses 2 is missing this.
The performances are all over-the-top as expected, but they garner very few laughs. For his part as Nick Hendricks, Jason Bateman plays the straight man of our main trio. Meanwhile, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day give us two supremely annoying idiots while reprising their roles as Kurt Buckman and Dale Arbus respectively. Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz deliver overly cartoonish performances as Rex and Burt Hanson. Jamie Foxx even disappoints as Dean "Motherfucker" Jones. The lone delight is Jonathan Banks in his supporting role as Detective Hatcher. While it's always good to see Mike from Breaking Bad, his blunt brand of humor balances out the shenanigans from the rest of the cast whenever he's on camera.
Horrible Bosses 2 gets a 0.09% rating. Reflecting on this one has eradicated any iota of nostalgia I had while writing this review. You'll need a few martinis to get through this one.
