Horrible Bosses= Funny, Raunchy Movie

Jason Bateman, star of Horrible Bosses, has always been a favorite, but movies have not been kind to him. From Teen Wolf Too to his last pairing with Jennifer Aniston, The Switch, his movies seem to fail to rise to his level of talent (with the notable acception of the action movie, The Kingdom, in which Bateman delivered an underappreciated dramatic performance).

Happily, Horrible Bosses has begun to reverse this trend.

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day play three high school buddies suffering serfdom under their bosses amidst a recession that finds one of their old classmates seeking REALLY odd jobs to make ends meet. When the evil of their bosses escalate, the boys become inspired by Strangers on a Train and agree to off each other’s bosses. Hindered by a lack of cash and a lack of cool, they accept the advice of a “murder consultant” humorously played by Jamie Foxx, and try to become the murderers they seek to be. The bosses are played by Kevin Spacey, a wonderfully hideous Colin Farrell, and never-looked-better dark-haired Jennifer Aniston. Each seems to be enjoying their role, and there’s a special cameo at the end that’s sure to bring a smile to any comedy-lovers face.

The laughs don’t come quite as often as I’d have liked, and the film never quite takes advantage of the full comedic potential of the workplace, but all-in-all, the relatable premise and charismatic, capable cast kept me laughing despite myself. Charlie Day’s gallant efforts to avoid the sexual come-ons of his aggressive Aniston boss nearly stole the show, but Bateman is the film’s real star and his deadpan delivery is perfect (WOW do I miss Arrested Development, which was to TV comedy what LOST was to TV adventure).

It IS R-rated for a reason, with plenty of swearing and raunch, but nothing in that department compared to Hangover II and it’s a whole lot funnier, for the most part using raunch for humor instead of for it’s own sake.

Seth Gordon, Director of the brilliantly funny documentary The King of Kong featuring local teacher and World Donkey Kong champion Steve Weibe (who has a cameo in the opening moments of Horrible Bosses), keeps the plot moving and takes advantage of the comedic strengths of his cast. It’s good to see him land a hit.

I screened the movie with Michael Medved, who appeared to have a horrible time. As for me, while I confess it wasn’t all it could be, I certainly didn’t have a horrible time and found myself wondering if More Horrible Bosses would be on the way.