Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Movie Review: Horrible Bosses



This was a movie that I could have easily let slip by. Almost did. The trailer looked funny. A friend saw it and recommended it. But somehow we kept not quite getting around to seeing it.

Three guys all with bosses that aren't just bad at their jobs but are actively malicious decide to kill them off. Not just for the betterment of their lives, but of the company and everyone who works there. Not all are 100% committed to the idea, but they're all going along with it. The plan is to kill each other's bosses so there's no clear motive. In this way the movie is kind of like "Throw Momma From the Train" and it knows it. But it doesn't work out quite that way as they all work on the same jobs and spend a lot of time together.

But that's the story and the story isn't what sells it. In different hands this movie could have gone very wrong. Instead of Jason Bateman type actors they could have cast Adam Sandler type actors. Same script, but very different movie. The audience would have gone from 30-somethings to college students. Nor is it a Danny DeVito/Billy Crystal type movie.

Am I explaining it right? I can't tell.

The movie works. It's funny. Not funny like you were amused, but never laughed. Not like you split your sides the whole time. Most of the movie was amusing and I laughed in many places.

While I won't be getting it on DVD it would have been a shame to miss it.

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