Synopsis:
Nick, Kurt and Dale hate their bosses. They can’t quit their jobs though, so what should they do? On the advice of an ex-con, and under the influence of a few too many drinks, they devise a plan to kill each other’s bosses, just like Strangers On A Train.
Bridesmaids is certainly the stand-out comedy of the summer so far. The Judd Apatow produced comedy was a surprise hit and following on from the financial success of The Hangover Part 2 came Bad Teacher and now Horrible Bosses in this summer of adult comedies (with more to come).
One of the appeals of Horrible Bosses is everybody can identify with the characters, to a certain extent. Two of the bosses in question are ridiculously caricatured and that represents well the farcical nature of a lot of the film. One of the bosses however, represents that little bit of everybody’s boss that everybody hates, albeit in an extreme manifestation.
What makes Horrible Bosses different to the other adult comedies so far this summer is that it doesn’t rely as much on the toilet humour that was prevalent in the Hangover Part 2 and Bridesmaids for example. The laughs here come partly from the nonsensical actions of the films stars, but mostly from the understated and underestimated dry, dead-pan humour of Jason Bateman, which is clearly the stand-out performance.
So where does Horrible Bosses rank amongst the other adult comedies so far this summer? Well, it is certainly no Bridesmaids, but probably sits comfortably alongside Bad Teacher, both well above the Hangover Part 2. That’s not a ringing endorsement by any means, but it certainly passes the laugh criteria all comedies should be judged by.
