Funny, falling a bit short of hilarity

Rating: 7/10 (29 July 2011)

You have to wonder these days if Hollywood has any ability to make more than two kinds of comedy films. The first is the supremely juvenile kid film, targeted so blatantly at children that parent's groan at the thought of their little ones wanting to go to the movies. The second category, arguably born with There's Something About Mary, is what I call the "Shock Comedy", films that try to push the boundaries of good taste and civility to its breaking point. Horrible Bosses definitely falls into the latter category, but proves to be an entertaining, if somewhat underwhelming, example of the genre. It isn't quite as lewd as other films of its style, and manages to deliver a decent number of laughs, but I doubt anyone will be singing its praises a few years from now.
Horrible Bosses rides on the casting of its three titular bosses: Dave (Kevin Spacey), whose seemingly whole purpose in life is to make Nick's (Jason Bateman) life a complete living hell, forcing him to work long hours and endure psychological torture with the promise of a promotion at the end of the tunnel. Bobby (Colin Farrell) is the coke-addled son of Kurt's (Jason Sudeikis) beloved long-time employer (Donald Sutherland) who takes over the company after the elder dies of a heart attack and is exclusively interested in riding the white horse, partying with strippers, and siphoning off as much profit from the business as possible to make his dream life of endless partying possible. Finally, there is Julia (Jennifer Aniston), the dentist who employs Dale (Charlie Day), but also has her eye on using Dale as her own personal sex toy, constantly taunting him with potential faked blackmail she will use against his fiancé if he doesn't do the horizontal tango with Julia prior to his wedding day.
Nick, Kurt and Dale have decided their individual situations are no longer tolerable, and have decided to take matters into their own hands: they decide that the world will be better off without their bosses in it. Not initially interested in getting their hands dirty, the trio stumble upon a "murder consultant", in the guise of one Mr. Jones (Jamie Foxx), first name not to be featured in a mixed company forum. He suggests that they off each other's superior, a la Strangers on a Train or Throw Momma From the Train (depending on your film knowledge). The group starts out with reconnaissance, then eventually things get unexpectedly out of control, leading to some sticky situations for the friends.
With the potential of Spacey, Farrell and Aniston selling the premise, and its murder driven plot, Horrible Bosses has the potential for a black comedy, but only vaguely dips its toes in the pool of the that genre. Instead, it only briefly touches on the depth of the darkness possible, but mostly keeps the overall situation light, well, as light as an R-rated comedy can get. Some of this is helped by the likability of the protagonists. Nick, Kurt and Dave, as portrayed by Bateman, Sudeikis and Day, are relatively nice guys, stuck in bad situations, and only turning to their particular resolution out of a sense of desperation. Even Jones has an air of frivolity to him, despite the prominent head tattoos and off-putting first name. Horrible Bosses takes a peak behind the black comedy curtain, but never steps into the darkness.
It does manage to wade a bit into the pool of the Shock Comedy, featuring such scenes as an initial meeting by the friends with a guy hired off the internet who is a specialist in "wetwork" (you have to see the film to figure out what it means), a visit to his bosses bathroom by Kurt that ends a bit gross, and Aniston's Julia, who isn't afraid to push the boundaries of all her previous work far beyond what you expect of her. There are plenty of laughs to be had by the misadventures in the film, to be sure, although Horrible Bosses never quite crosses the line into hilarity. The film is funny to be sure, but it is never riotous, falling short of a great comedy that will tickle the funny bone for years to come.
Spacey is at his mocking, depraved best as Dave, the boss who isn't afraid to let everyone else suffer while he makes his own life better. Spacey plays this kind of role well, and fits the character to a tee. Farrell shows promise as Bobby, but of the three, he is the most underutilized by the film. Some blooper materials in the credits suggest that there were more scenes with Bobby planned that got cut, which is too bad, as he provides some nice laughs in his limited scenes. But Aniston is arguably the standout, operating outside the type of role she has taken before, and giving Julia a mix of sexy and mean that is very effective. She turns into the boss you love to hate in this film. The friends are all well filled out by Bateman, Sudeikis and Day. Bateman, having seen a significant career upswing since Arrested Development, has been mastering the role of put-upon working stiff for several years, and gives his dependable best here. Sudeikis is the horn dog of the group, but still manages to have a degree of niceness to him. Day is the weird one, albeit not so weird to be off-putting. Of the three "straight men", he delivers the most laughs. Finally, Foxx manages to put on a good show of parody and in-jokiness as Jones, making the most of his small part.
Horrible Bosses is a decent comedy that has a sufficient number of laughs to make you leave the theater feeling entertained, but doesn't quite get let off the leash to soar higher. There are more than a few standout scenes, but manages to be just a good, not great, comedy.