Another must miss....

Rating: Null/10 (15 October 2011)

HORRIBLE BOSSES is. Why there is a continuing need to put films of this sort before the market is cause for concern. The story is ludicrous - maybe playing out the fantasies most people control about disliking their 'bosses' is OK but actually showing it is another item altogether. Potty mouth dialogue, sociopathic behavior supposedly masked by three guys who 'really aren't all that bad', and placing the roles of Bosses who are over the top obnoxious and maladaptive in the hands of actors of the caliber of Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Anniston, and Colin Farrell is a gross waste of talent. Then padding the 'story' with appearances (albeit brief) by Donald Sutherland, Bob Newhart, Jamie Foxx and especially Ioan Gruffudd - there must be some favors owed somewhere.
It is a committee written script (Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein) and it shows: this is more a disconnected series of standup comedian jokes than a story. Seth Gordon directs with a heavy hand on exasperatingly gross language and sexual innuendoes, insulting just about everybody possible. The only saving grace about this 'film' is the comedic timing by Jason Bateman and his cohorts in crime - Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis. There are some funny lines but the sorry mess you have to wade through to get to them is hardly worth the effort. It is an embarrassingly poor film, but as with the popularity of The Hangover et al it sells tickets. Sad. Grady Harp