Swift shot: Still filthy, still funny, and now packed with Academy Award winners! There were three Oscar winners, sharing five total Oscars in this film. Django and Dr. King are re-united in this raunchy sequel to the solidly hilarious Horrible Bosses from three years ago. Of course, they aren’t the stars in Horrible Bosses 2, directed this time by Sean Anders (Sex Drive, That’s My Boy).
The three stooges are back, Nick, Kurt, Dale (Bateman, Sudeikis, Day) this time they have ditched their old jobs to create a new shower tool that they have dubbed the Shower Buddy. They want to live the American dream and become their own bosses, sticking it to the man and helping create jobs. All incredibly noble notions, but, let’s be honest . . . it’s these idiots!!
But, being idiots, they manage to capture media fame and attract the attention of retail magnate Boulder Streams (if memory serves). Initially they are offered a deal to take a one time check and sell the Shower Buddy outright, but, being idiots (and idealists, same thing) they refuse the Rex Hanson (Chris Pine) offer. But, never fear, Rex’ dear old dad, Bert (Christoph Waltz) swoops in and makes them an offer too good to be true. Now they are in business, American style. Yea, about that . . .
They quickly learn that doing business in America (particularly when you are inept morons) is dangerous. Now they are in deep debt, have hired employees that are counting on them to stay gainfully employed, and actually have to go crawling back to their old boss, Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) who is currently behind bars for murder. Spacey destroys them, and proves why he has two Oscars.
Realizing they are screwed, they come up with a plan to kidnap Rex Hanson and from there on the film really picks up as a kind of (again) “9 to 5” vibe, and hell Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx) actually mentions that film in one scene as they again seek his criminal advice. This time the gang has a sexy monkey-wrench, err, wench to deal with, as Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston) catches onto their scheme and decides to blackmail them for sex. Uhm, yea, and of course being idiots, they manage to screw that up to!
This is a film that relies on the buffoonery factor, and actors, where we see seemingly normal people trying to break bad and pull off crimes. It was funny in Horrible Bosses, and I’ll be damned if it didn’t work again in the sequel. Better yet, the film didn’t force itself into a formulaic box, and it managed to surprise and excite in disgustingly funny ways. The comedy caper is handled well, and with Academy award winners supporting all the action, it was just fun to watch.
Overall, I’d say if you enjoyed Horrible Bosses, you’ll get a kick out of part 2, it didn’t leave me disappointed, other than the fact that we only ventured out to see a film after Thanksgiving so we could catch the Star Wars teaser in theaters, and they didn’t play it at our theater. Oh, and fans of Bateman’s directorial debut will get a kick out of one scene in particular that was a direct nod to Bad Words. See if you catch it. I think you’ll enjoy this flick.
