Written by John Delia
Most everyone would like to be the boss, but in most instances there’s only one. I hope my readers don’t have a boss as despicable as the ones in Horrible Bosses, a nicely funny comedy directed by Seth Gordon. Filled with a lot of hilarious situations, this film is perfect for mature adults. If you are not offended by sexuality and a lot of crude language, then run to see Horrible Bosses.
The film centers on three friends Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) who have run into a stone barrier at their jobs. Nick works for a twisted supervisor (Kevin Spacey) who has dangled a Senior Vice President carrot in front of him only to absorb the job for himself. Master accountant Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), loved by Mr. Pellit, owner of the company he works for, has been groomed to take over when he retires, but his drug-addicted son (Colin Farrell) has other plans. Finally, Dale, a dental assistant to Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) works in an environment of sexual harassment by his X-rated boss who makes her workday a play day.
The bosses are really sinister when it comes to management, and the three friends plot to do something about it. When a very bad idea goes horribly wrong, the boys find themselves in dire straits.
The three buddy characters’ actors deliver some very hysterical comedy and in most cases are well suited to their roles. Bateman does a great job of making Nick the most intelligent of the group who keeps things in perspective when the three band together to take out revenge. Day puts on his best comedy face for the very goofy role of Dale an engaged man who goes to work everyday trying to fend off Dr. Julia’s onslaught for sex. And yes, let’s not forget Sudeikis, who has to deal with a freaky Bobby Pellit and does so in a screwy kind of way providing some dark comedy of his own.
Director Seth Gordon (Freakononics) does a pretty good job of keeping the laughs rolling and the situations ridiculous. His ability to tie the talent together boss to employee and a realistic trio of friends is truly admirable. I like the pace, situations, and resolve in Horrible Bosses, making the film an above-average comedy in my book.
The film isn’t perfect, however, and there are some situations that ‘shovel the corn’. I found the ‘Three Stooges’ slapping childish, Aniston’s hypersexual lust way over the top, Ferrell’s Bobby Pellit frightfully chilling, and Spacey extremely overbearing, but I guess in Seth Gordon’s mind that’s what makes this film fun. Now I’m just saying, but if I had a nymphomaniac boss like Jennifer Aniston…well you fill in the blanks.
Horrible Bosses is rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug material. The language is very raw and the sexually-oriented gestures and innuendos extremely vulgar for anyone under the age of 17.
Video
Horrible Bosses is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The 1080p image is arrived at with an AVC MPEG-4 codec at an average 30 mbps. I’ll have to say that this might be the best high-definition image presentation I’ve encountered on a comedy. Colors are bright and stand out quite vividly. The sharpness is razor. There is an almost multi-dimensional quality here that makes it feel like you’re watching these people through a clear window. Detail is great. Black levels are exceptional. This is one very solid image.
Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 isn’t quite as spectacular, but it is still very solid. Dialog is really the key here, and it’s always clear and up-front. The score’s a bit more aggressive than I’d like, but it fits the moments well enough. There aren’t a huge amount of surround effects, but there are moments like the car chase that the rears exhibit a little more ear candy.
Special Features
This is a three-disc set. One Blu-ray contains the “Totally Inappropriate Edition” which is basically an unrated version of the film. The second Blu-ray contains the theatrical version and the bonus content. There is also a DVD/Digital copy disc (through Ultraviolet) (see below). All of the below is presented in HD.
My Least Favorite Career: (5:01) The cast talk about some jobs they had before they were famous and some of their own horrible bosses.
Surviving A Horrible Boss: (6:29) Cast and crew talk about what makes a horrible boss. Casting of the film gets a lot of attention here as well.
Being Mean Is So Much Fun: (7:07) The boss end of the cast talk about what a hoot it was to be so mean or raunchy.
Deleted Scenes: (10:22) There is no individual play selection here. There are a couple of alternate opening credit scenes.
The Making Of Horrible Bosses Soundtrack: (6:22) Meet the all-star band assembled for the score.
UltraViolet Digital Copy is a groundbreaking new way for consumers to collect and enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows at home and on-the-go, across a wide range of devices, including computers, tablets and smart phones.
Final Thoughts:
Horrible Bosses is rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug material. The language is very raw and the sexually-oriented gestures and innuendos extremely vulgar for anyone under the age of 17.
Parts of this review were written by Gino Sassani
