Everyone's Had A Bad Boss, & Everyone's Had That Fantasy

Rating: 8/10 (17 July 2011)

For us moviegoers who have had at least some real world experience, and have had "one of those jobs" with "one of those bosses", "Horrible Bosses" comes as a huge breath of fresh air. Regardless of whether it's a good job or not, there are some, perhaps many, executives who leave a trail of blood on their way to the top, and don't even have the courtesy to clean it up. It doesn't matter who you are or what you do. These bosses are just assholes or bullies.
As I watched this movie, I couldn't help but think of a horrible boss that I had. I was working in a grocery store in college, and one of my assistant managers made Ebenezer Scrooge look like Lee Iaccoca. I worked hard every day I was there, but if I did one thing wrong, he would get right in my face and speak harsh words through gritted teeth. I always wished he would get himself caught in the box crusher out back, while I "accidentally" pulled the switch. If that actually happened, I would be writing this review from jail. Still, though, for disgruntled workers like me, "Horrible Bosses" struck very familiar tones.
Jason Bateman ("Hancock" (2008), "Up In The Air" (2009)), Jason Sudeikis (TV's "Saturday Night Live"), and Charlie Day (TV's "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia") do great jobs portraying hard-working professionals whose bosses stand in the way of advancements in their jobs and lives. Of course, their performances would not have been great without the actors playing those bosses.
It's no surprise seeing Kevin Spacey as a corrupt, micromanaging hothead at the financial firm where Nick Hendricks (Bateman) works. He played the same kind of character in "Swimming With Sharks" (1994), and he does well playing someone who is mean and intense. He also doesn't miss a beat when he awards a coveted position to himself. Other actors may have winked and nodded to the camera at that point, but Spacey never has to.
The other horrible bosses are brilliantly over the top. Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell) is a coked-up slacker of an employee at Pellitt Chemicals who is hired only because of his father, founder Jack Pellitt (Donald Sutherland). Although Kurt Buckman (Sudeikis) is second in command, Bobby becomes CEO, and Kurt's boss, after Jack suddenly dies. While Jack was like a father to Kurt, Bobby is the worst boss ever.
Anyone who has seen a preview for the film knows that Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell could easily be bad bosses, but Jennifer Aniston? A bad boss to a guy? Well, dental assistant Dale Arbus (Day), who is engaged, is a lot more professional than his boss, Dr. Julia Harris, who is a nymphomaniac that takes pride in sexually harassing Dale every chance she gets. To guys, this boss may be a dream come true, as Kurt, who has a way with the ladies, surmises many times in the movie.
It's refreshing to see Aniston in a comedy role that doesn't require her to be the distraught girlfriend or the whiny single woman, which are roles that have practically defined her acting career after "Friends". Here, she's funny because she says the most outrageous things to Dale, and her come-ons to him effectively bring the awkward and uncomfortable. And yes, this is coming from a heterosexual man who had a crush on Rachel in the 90's.
So why do these three friends not quit their jobs? Well, it's 2011, and the economy still sucks. That point makes sense to me and anyone else who has turned on the news lately. So they decide to hire a hit-man, although have no clue as to how they do that. Their attempts to find one on Craig's List and through an OnStar-like representative are pretty funny.
Eventually, they go to the bad part of the city and happen upon former convict Dean Jones (Jamie Foxx in his first funny role in years), who goes by a nickname that I can't print on IMDb. Rather than Mr. Jones whacking these bosses, he suggests each of them whack one of the bosses that's not his own. Oh yeah, they have to make it look like accidents too.
From there, the three friends break into their bad bosses' houses in desperate measures to off their bosses. It's funny how they go about doing these things without even the slightest idea how to create a perfect murder. If I described each part and why it was funny, it would completely take away the magic of this film. Plus, there are some great plot twists that effortlessly weave their way into this story, and even result in some shocking turning points here and there.
Other comedies of similar nature would have the main characters be too nice, and ultimately decide in the end that killing is not the answer. Here, the story comes close to that conclusion, but fortunately doesn't succumb to that temptation. What results is a hilarious comedy that doubles as a revenge fantasy, and most of the plot elements fit together perfectly. There is also a surprising cameo at the end, who fortunately is also funny.
Of course, many people are already comparing this movie to "The Hangover" (2009) and, for that matter, "The Hangover II" (2011). To those people I simply say: stop! Not every comedy that has three or more guys working together is automatically a ripoff of "The Hangover", nor is this movie trying to be "The Hangover". The guys in "The Hangover" didn't have a plan, whereas the guys in "Horrible Bosses" do. Their plans inevitably go awry, but that's why it's funny. Take a deep breath, remind yourself that's it's mostly original, and enjoy the film.