Movie Review: Horrible Bosses

I’m going to start off this review with another review for a slightly related TV show. For those who have not seen it let me inform you that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the funniest show I have ever seen. And I mean that with no exaggeration whatsoever. I have actually; literally lost count of the number of episodes that have made me laugh so hard that I honestly lost the ability to breathe- that’s how laugh-out-loud funny this show is. I will also say, just as fair warning, that it is also the most un-PC show I have ever seen in my life. There are more racial stereotypes, homophobic remarks, gender role slanders, ethnic slurs, religious blasphemy and morally bankrupt jokes than you can track without a really advanced matrix, so it’s certainly not for the faint of heart. But if you don’t take life too seriously it is, as I said, the funniest show that has ever existed on television.

One of the main characters from that show is played by Charlie Day whose character is also called Charlie. Charlie Day is one of the three main characters of Horrible Bosses. He is just as hysterical in the movie as he is in the show and he arguably carries the bulk of the spew-the-liquid-you-just-drank-out-your-nose moments. I’m definitely biased in that review but I can’t help it- I find him painfully funny. His high-pitched, squeaky freak-outs absolutely kill me. But, like most of the really crazy comedians throughout history he is nothing without a straight man or two to make him look even more crazy by comparison.

In this movie there’s arguably two: Jason Sudeikis from Saturday Night Live and Jason Bateman who’s been in a string of movies recently (three this year alone). Both of them have an uncanny ability to deliver a punch line without a hint of finding it humorous and it makes the landing that much more hysterical to see it delivered deadpan. That being said, they’re both hysterical in their own right- especially Jason Sudeikis who delivers more “no, white men can’t say that” lines than anybody. The combination of the three of them works on so many levels and their chemistry is the source of all the magic in this movie.

That being said, the supporting characters are certainly fun. Kevin Spacey is at his best as the same type of truly evil bastard you saw him play in Swimming With Sharks. Colin Farrell is a hard-core douche and because his only purpose is to be the kind of guy you’d really want to murder you don’t care a bit that he’s super one-dimensional. And Jennifer Aniston is refreshing as a sex-crazed manipulator who loves toying with poor Charlie, especially after seeing her as such a sweetheart in so many romantic comedies.

However, none of them hold a candle to Jamie Foxx who’s name -all by itself- is a killer: Motherfuckah Jones. Especially when he instructs them as to the correct pronunciation: “white dudes say motherfuck-E-R, black dudes say motherfuck-A-H”. But when you find out what previously referenced “nasty shit” sent him to prison for a dime you practically fall out of your chair laughing. (I won’t spoil that for you, suffice it say you don’t see it coming.)  The three of them seeking murder advice from him is a direct throw back to the three main characters of Office Space seeking money laundering advice from Orlando Jones- i.e. hilarious.

As I said, there were far too many laugh-out-loud moments in this movie to count and the plot is unimportant in comparison to the banter, outrageous situations and overall character interplays. The three of them together- Charlie, Jason and Jason- is pure magic like I haven’t seen since Charlie was paired with his other comrades in Sunny. All-in-all, I haven’t laughed this hard at a movie in longer than I can remember.

If you’re fine with seriously un-PC humor I would highly recommend you check out both It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, now in its seventh hilarious season and Horrible Bosses. And don’t drink anything while watching them unless you want to choke.