Horrible Bosses 2

Another horribly funny sequel

Nick, Kurt, and Dale (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day) are back, this time trying to be their own boss. Dale came up with the idea for a new invention called the shower buddy (basically taking the concept for one of the wands at a car wash, and making it for use in the shower), and the boys get a buyer interested. Rex and Burt Hanson (Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz) run the biggest distribution chain in America, and convince our would-be heroes to make 100,000 shower buddies. After the boys complete the order, the Hanson's cancel it, and leave the boys in debt to the tune of $500,000.00. So, the guys get it in their head to kidnap Rex, and demand a ransom from his father for what they are owed.

I don't usually expect a good storyline when I walk into a comedy, but it never hurts to have one handy. Luckily the creators of this movie just so happened to have something descent in their back pocket. This is pretty much the same setup as the first movie; but, the subplots really drive this movie home. I like how the Hansons screw over the three schlubs we grew to love in the first movie. I like the pretend kidnapping, and the reversal of emotion from Chris Pine's character. This movie may be the same setup, but it has separate story arcs that make the story line really blossom into something fresh and original. My one gripe with the story is with the characters, and what's weird is that it isn't with the new characters, but with the ones we met last movie. Motherfucker Jones is kind of forgettable here, since we know he isn't really a bad-ass; but the characters still kind of play like he is a bad-ass. There is an air of superiority to the trio when they meet Jones, but not enough to wipe the question from our mind: Why did they go back to this guy? I'll tell you why, because they severely crippled Nick, Kurt, and Dale's intelligence in this (also because the studio probably got a bunch of pleas for a Motherfucker Jones return). The trio was never insanely smart in the first one, but they are noticeably more stupid in this, and it kind of took me out of the ride every once in a while. The good news for returning characters is that Dr. Julia (Jennifer Aniston) and Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey) are still horny/angry. I can never be mad at their characters, they were writing gold from jump street (if only they could have brought Colin Farrell back from the dead). The new characters are fun. Chris Pine is nuts, Christoph Waltz is greedy, done and done. The characters are a very small gripe with me, because I still loved this movie.

Was this funny? On almost every level, this movie was hilarious. It didn't keep me laughing from start to finish like some other movies, but it was definitely a contender for comedy of the year. There were a couple of jokes that didn't register with me, but even more that made me fall out of my chair with laughter. Some of the jokes were misinterpretation, some of the jokes were racially or sexually charged, and some of the jokes were heavily reliant on awkward comedy. If any of that seems like a winning combination than you will find this movie hilarious. I didn't see me liking this movie, but this is the second comedic sequel of the year to change my mind.

Now comes the time to talk about the acting, but really what more is there to say about the actors here. Jason Sudeikis has a direct line to my funny bone in most movies he is in, so he did well here. Jason Bateman is the same depressed, "too-smart-for-the-people-around-him" guy that he usually plays (except for that one guy in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), but luckily I am not tired of that yet. Charlie Day is the same loud, awkward character; but, luckily I am not tired of that either. Jamie Foxx is the same, Jennifer Aniston is the same, and Kevin Spacey is the same; yet, none of that is bad because they were all amazing in the first movie. The real test here was for the newcomers. Christoph Waltz is German... that about sums it up... but seriously he is an extraordinary actor, and keeps an even pace with this movie's tempo. Jonathan Banks is old, and again that can about sum that up; but, his placement was good here, and he had me laughing in the few scenes he was present. Lastly, we come to Chris Pine. Chris Pine. I don't think I have kept my feelings on Chris Pine's acting a secret, but I will reiterate myself now: I think he is talent-less. At least that was the case before I saw this movie. Every movie prior to this had overacting so bad, I could only think every movie he was in saw his performance as Kirk in Star Trek, and thought he was trying to play William Shatner. If he was he nailed it, since he shouldn't have I hated him. This performance took some of the hate I keep for him out of my heart. He showed a range of emotion, and his usual antics fit his character perfectly for this. Let know one say I am not a fair judge of talent... now please Chris Pine, stop being the Captain.

Final Verdict: See it in theaters Some misfired jokes, and fumbles with character development kept this movie from my top spot. Luckily, this movie is a rare occurrence where it rated equal to its predecessor.Go see it, you won't be sorry.