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trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm Posts: 19697 Location: ville-marie
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Horrible Bosses
Horrible BossesQuote: Horrible Bosses is a black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon and starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx. It premiered June 30, 2011. The movie's premise follows a trio of long-suffering friends who team up to murder their respective overbearing bosses with disastrous results.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
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Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:45 am |
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jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm Posts: 12333
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Horrible Bosses is a top notch dark comedy. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudekis work so well together and the uniqueness/craziness of their bosses (Jennifer Aniston, Colin Firth, and Kevin Spacey) makes the adventures that much more wild and entertaining. Whether it be trying to find bait on how to kill the bosses, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even the small appearances by Jamie Foxx (who uses his supporting role well), everything just works. In terms of mainstream comedy, Horrible Bosses is the best mainstream comedy so far this year (though Submarine is the better "comedy" even if the two are completely different in their laughs). Hopefully this is a huge hit because it is well deserved. ***1/2
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Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:47 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Charlie Day threw me. At first I thought he was acting the way he did because of the coke scene with Jason Bateman (since he wasn't that hyper before), and yet he stayed that way through the rest of the movie.
Also, Jennifer Aniston. She was funny in her first scene, but never after that. Her entire part is basically to say, "Look! She's usually a good girl, and how she's saying 'cock' and 'pussy' and talking about squirting!" Which from her mouth is funny. The first time. Not the five scenes after with the exact same premise.
Top notch dark comedy is going a bit far. The film could've been considerably darker and funnier if it grew a pair of balls. As it is, it's just consistently amusing.
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Fri Jul 08, 2011 3:23 am |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14560 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Horrible Bosses
I thought this was hilarious. Jennifer Aniston and Charlie Day are the best parts of the film and steal every scene they are in. I couldn't stop laughing whenever either one of them was onscreen. A-
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Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:19 pm |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm Posts: 48667 Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Manic and frequently hysterical, Horrible Bosses will probably end up being one of the funniest comedies of the year. It's not quite as good as Bridesmaids but it is definitely better than Bad Teacher and The Hangover II. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day all have great chemistry together and much of the film was clearly heavily improvised. Day, high-pitched squeak aflutter, stands out in particular. The titular bosses all relish the opportunities they've been given here. Kevin Spacey plays a variation on the Swimming With Sharks character he did so well to present a truly psychotic nutcase. Colin Farrell's role basically amounts to an extended cameo but he is hilarious(ly gross). And finally, Jennifer Aniston definitively sheds the girl next door image to play an incorrigible nympho. Jamie Foxx is brilliant as Motherfucker Jones (what a strange character and performance), although I wish the uber-talented Julie Bowen had been given a little more to do. Like all good comedies, this film maintains comedic momentum throughout its running time, never really sagging or even going for heart like many "raunchy" comedies have. A-
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Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:14 pm |
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MGKC
---------
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:42 pm Posts: 11808 Location: Kansas City, Kansas
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Like Dark Shape said, it's very consistently funny and felt very even. Charlie Day was hilarious. Sudaikis and Batemen had some great lines, though I kinda felt they made Batemen a little too grumpy. Had a lot of fun with the movie.
B+
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:39 am |
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zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Hilarious, and easily the best comedy of the year so far. Charlie Day is, by far, the funniest, but everyone in the cast is perfect.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:51 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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Re: Horrible Bosses
There's no way it's a better comedy than Bridesmaids. That's not a slam on Horrible Bosses; Bridesmaids is just great.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:03 am |
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zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
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Re: Horrible Bosses
It's funnier than Bridesmaids.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:07 am |
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jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm Posts: 12333
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Re: Horrible Bosses
zingy wrote: It's funnier than Bridesmaids.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:20 am |
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Michael A
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:48 am Posts: 6245
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Re: Horrible Bosses
It's basically adopts the hangover format to a new but kinda not that new storyline, throws in some sunny in Philadelphia style humor, and a little more maturity (via Jason Bateman) whilst amping up the violence and sexism a little (or at least making them more direct.) It's not great, but is definitely a little more clever and self-aware. p.s. Charlie Day was funny at some points, and extremely fucking obnoxious at others.
_________________Mr. R wrote: Malcolm wrote: You seem to think threatening violence against people is perfectly okay because you feel offended by their words, so that's kind of telling in itself. Exactly. If they don't know how to behave, and feel OK offending others, they get their ass kicked, so they'll think next time before opening their rotten mouths.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:27 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Horrible Bosses
In Horrible Bosses, a comedy directed by Seth Gordon (Four Christmases), three friends--Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis)--are tired of suffering at the hands of their, yes, quite horrible bosses.
Corporate man Nick has been showing up before dawn and leaving after sunset, and even missed his grandmother's death, because his cold bastard of a boss (Kevin Spacey) has been strongly hinting he's in line for a major promotion, a silent promise on which he reneges. Dental assistant Dale, engaged and happy, endures daily sexual harassment from the ever-horny, foul-mouthed dentist (Jennifer Aniston). And Kurt's beloved old boss (Donald Sutherland) has just died and been replaced by his repulsive son (Colin Farrell), a terror with a greasy comb-over and a raging coke habit. So, disbelief suspension time, the trio of pals decide murder most foul is the best solution to their office problems.
Horrible Bosses is a good, well-crafted film, but it falls short of greatness. Despite the homicidal premise, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a dark comedy. It rarely flirts with the macabre. Even as the protagonists go on their (inept) criminal way--a bit of B&E here, a face full of coke there--there's never any sense the film could build to a scene where, say, one of these men is going to shoot, strangle, poison, or otherwise maim Aniston's sexy dentist. So the film almost seems divorced from its own concept. Murder isn't murder in Horrible Bosses. No, it's just a vehicle for hijinks, not so different from the dudes in The Hangover going on a bender. The result is a more mainstream-accessible film, to be sure, but one which feels slightly cowardly, afraid or at least unwilling to embrace its own angry, crazy central idea.
The cast is well-assembled and game, though I have one serious complaint: Colin Farrell is absolutely wasted. He may have a prominent place on the poster, but his role is a glorified cameo, amounting to, at the most, ten minutes on screen. And it's a damn shame because he's in top form, completely disappearing into the role of a grotesque, manic Lothario. It's sad to see a great actor so willing to dirty his hands and go big in the name of low-brow comedy, only to be stranded and nearly forgotten by the film he's in. On the other hand, there's almost too much of Kevin Spacey, who is fine, but has played this type of unctuous, savage suit many times before.
Aniston is an undeniable hoot in her role. There is but one element to her performance--"It's Rachel! Saying 'dirty whore,' 'cock,' 'pussy,' etc. a lot!"--but it's a fun element indeed and delivers plentiful laughs. Jamie Foxx, too, is delightful as Dean "Motherfucker" Jones, their murder consultant. (A revelation regarding his character and a certain melancholy Ethan Hawke drama is priceless.) And the core trio of Bateman, Day, and Sudeikis share an easy chemistry and function well together, with Day clearly positioned as the scene-stealing breakout star.
One reason Horrible Bosses feels a bit lightweight: none of these characters feel especially real. Not even the put-upon protagonists, let alone the villainous bosses. Sure, one has a very briefly glimpsed fiancee and one has a very briefly glimpsed, uh, apartment, but there's never a sense of lives being led outside of the over-the-top storyline. So there's almost no, for want of a better word, "heart." Just a fast-paced procession of gags. Most of them pretty damn funny, though.
B
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:54 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Horrible Bosses
This is nowhere near Bridesmaids, in my opinion. It has six or seven BIG laughs and maybe 25-30 smile-worthy moments, which is really solid and puts it a little ahead of, like, Paul or Arthur. But Bridesmaids had me laughing out loud throughout. On a totally different level.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:59 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Though I don't believe it was a chart hit at all, "How Do You Like Me Now?" by the Heavy has become perhaps the most ubiquitous song of the last few years. At least one of the most.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:14 am |
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Malcolm
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Consistently amusing was my thought as well. Never hilarious, more chuckle/occasional aloud laugh inducing. I was kind of waiting for it to really kick into gear, but it never went for it. It was a little too easy and characters too simply drawn. The three leads worked really well together, each bringing the humor to the point that no one outshone the others, and Jamie Foxx was funny. As for the bosses, they were all a little one-note for me. Spacey worked best (as he's Kevin Spacey that's no surprise) but I thought Farrell and Aniston weren't given anything to do beyond "be a cokehead" and "be a nympho."
I thought maybe the John Francis Daly character would factor in when I saw him, like he'd be the one to actually end up killing the Spacey. I wouldn't have been a fan of that so that was good it turned out to just be a writer cameo.
It would've been better had the leads actually killed some--or at least one--of the bosses. Not enough balls to dive in with the premise. Oh well...
Also, I hated the opening and closing narration. There was nothing of value there. It all was stuff you could pick up by simply watching the movie or drop without losing a step. Narration is *almost* always pure shit. I...hate...narration.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:15 am |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Horrible Bosses
I thought this movie suffered a bit from good bits being spoiled in the trailers and TV spots. The whole Ioan Gruffudd scene, for example, might have been a tad more amusing had it not been run into the ground before the film even came out.
Every comedy deals with this to an extent, but there were multiple points during this where I was just waiting for for the movie to catch up with the ads. The movie version of...I don't know, hearing the 7-minute, atmospheric-intro album version of the 4-minute song you've heard a million times on the radio.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:40 am |
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Libs
Sbil
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:38 pm Posts: 48667 Location: Arlington, VA
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Re: Horrible Bosses
zingy wrote: It's funnier than Bridesmaids. It's not, but not that far off. Which is a big compliment to this film. Bridesmaids was the more well-rounded and genuine film, though.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:25 am |
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Mister Ecks
New Server, Same X
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:07 pm Posts: 28297 Location: ... siiiigh...
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Michael A wrote: p.s. Charlie Day was funny at some points, and extremely fucking obnoxious at others. That's Charlie Day in a nutshell, isn't it? Except even at obnoxious, I find him funny.
_________________ Ecks Factor: Cancelled too soon
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 9:39 am |
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Caius
A very honest-hearted fellow
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:02 pm Posts: 4767
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Michael A wrote: It's basically adopts the hangover format to a new but kinda not that new storyline, throws in some sunny in Philadelphia style humor, and a little more maturity (via Jason Bateman) whilst amping up the violence and sexism a little (or at least making them more direct.) It's not great, but is definitely a little more clever and self-aware. p.s. Charlie Day was funny at some points, and extremely fucking obnoxious at others. The only It's Always Sunny style humor was perhaps the coke scene and maybe the Jamie Fox scenes. I agree with The Dark Shape that the film lacked balls. The writers took a cop-out by making Kevin Spacey's character resolve the majority of the boss problems, probably because they figured the characters would no longer be likable or funny if they committed murder. The film also seemed really small. A bar, empty streets with the car, and two or three home interiors. Not that being large is necessarily a prerequisite for a good comedy, but it helps. Finally, was there a single memorable scene? Like the wake-up scene in The Hangover or something like that? I don't think so. C+ or so. Jason Sudeikis is a poor man's Ed Helms.
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:25 pm |
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David
Pure Phase
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:33 am Posts: 34865 Location: Maryland
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Jason Sudeikis, somewhat paradoxically, was playing the Bradley Cooper character. Jason Bateman would have to be the poor man's Ed Helms.
_________________1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game
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Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:02 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Put me down for one "All Events" pass for the Horrible Bosses fanboy convention of 2036 celebrating the 25th anniversary screening of this cult fave - - I hear the 67 year old Jennifer Aniston is the featured guest...
I loved it! (exclamation)
Hilarious. (period)
Who wouldn't wanna see it? (question)
300 million out of 5.
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:41 am |
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The Dark Shape
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:56 am Posts: 12119 Location: Adrift in L.A.
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Re: Horrible Bosses
That'll be right after the 27th Anniversary convention honoring cult fave The Hangover.
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:00 am |
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Chippy
KJ's Leading Pundit
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:45 pm Posts: 63026 Location: Tonight... YOU!
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Re: Horrible Bosses
Easily the best comedy of the year. And Charlie Day was hilarious, and NEVER obnoxious.
_________________trixster wrote: shut the fuck up zwackerm, you're out of your fucking element trixster wrote: chippy is correct
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:13 pm |
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trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm Posts: 19697 Location: ville-marie
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Re: Horrible Bosses
It's plenty funny, but they definitely pussied out at the end. It never really got dark enough for me. And it needed more Colin Farrell.
As a conventional Hollywood comedy, though, it's more than fine.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
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Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:02 pm |
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nghtvsn
Extraordinary
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2005 7:13 pm Posts: 11015 Location: Warren Theatre Oklahoma
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Re: Horrible Bosses
HORRIBLE BOSSES
Saw this today with a very limited audience. I left unimpressed. It wasn't very funny. I don't think this worked because of the premise of killing your boss. It seems like it could be funny but when the characters all come across quite annoying and obnoxious it just falls to pieces. The bosses were all unfunny and boring except for aniston. As for the employees, only bateman was okay for me. The dental assistant was especially annoying with his chalkboard voice. It could have been Joe pesci in that role back in the day. Overall, it was just a bad comedy that looked much more interesting in the trailers.
Grade - D
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Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:15 pm |
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