Review: ‘Horrible Bosses 2’

In 2011, in a summer of multiple R-rated comedies, “Horrible Bosses” was the surprise break out hit of the group, making over $200 million worldwide and resulting in a sequel that has come out…now. “Horrible Bosses 2” is here. But does it capture the same sense of fun and hijinks as the original? Or is this an unreasonable facsimile of something that was once good, a failure of an attempt to recapture old magic?

Well, writer/director Seth Gordon did NOT come back to do this sequel, and instead those duties were passed along to Sean Anders, who is the writer and/or director behind such movies as the not-so-good “Superbad” wanna be “Sex Drive,” the hugely successful and very not funny “We’re the Millers” and the massively disappointing “Dumb & Dumber To.” With this as our benchmark, then it can be said that “Horrible Bosses 2” is the most enjoyable film of the career of Mr. Anders, a definite highlight among comedic low lights. That being said, this movie really isn’t that good. It is not a terrible anti-comedy monstrosity like some of those other movies this guy has had the pleasure of working on, but it’s not something worth revisiting or even recommending. It’s a mild diversion for 108 minutes, with jokes built on the backs of jokes made in the first movie, and new jokes that just aren’t that funny.

Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day) have quit their shitty jobs (though I am pretty sure I remember them having finished the last movie happy with their positions as they took care of their horrible bosses, because like, you know, that was the point of that movie) and they are going into business for themselves by manufacturing and selling a shower multi-tool called the Shower Buddy. They start going into business with a massive company run by a dude (Christoph Waltz) and his douchebag son (Chris Pine) and these two guys screw over Nick, Kurt and Dale, so the team of N-K-D concoct a ridiculous kidnapping scheme to try to get their money back. Shit quickly goes awry and they find themselves in it a little too deep with nowhere to go but deeper.

If you saw the first movie and enjoyed the rapport between the three lead characters, then get ready for much more of the same. Kurt is still very horny (thought it really doesn’t get him in much trouble this time), Nick is still the level-headed straight laced one of the bunch, and Dale is still a highly functioning mentally handicapped person (they never mention this aspect of this character over the course of these two movies, but I am certain this Dale person has an IQ score bordering on mental invalid). They very often get into little arguments and bicker at each other, usually with muted voices pointing out each other’s stupidity, and many times when these characters confront each other with their stupid ideas, the other characters were usually concede and say “You know what? You are right.” Haha, look at that, characters acknowledging their flaws. How funny. So if you want mildly amusing soft spoken bickering between three dudes, this movie is like gross manna from Heaven.

I feel like I could watch a television show with these characters, like maybe a standard half hour sitcom or maybe a cable network show like on FX or IFC, like mild diversions would be possible and even welcome from these three bumbling idiots, each one somehow dumber than the one before (but only if you go in the order of Nick, Kurt and then Dale). As such, whereas “Horrible Bosses” did manage to feel like a full on movie, “Horrible Bosses 2” felt like an extended episode of a television show. Often times seemingly big problems crop up that then get solved in very easy ways, and characters do things that could result in big drama (hence a place from which to mine comedy) but instead these things get glossed over and ignored, and in the end it all just kind of feels lazy, as well as redundant as so many things in this movie are just call backs to the first one.

Meh, really there isn’t much more to say. There are a few laughs, but not any memorable ones. I would rather watch “Horrible Bosses” again instead of seeing this sequel that no one really asked for. Hey, people who make the movies! Just cause the public liked something doesn’t mean you have to beat it into the ground! Just leave us with our one-offs while you crank out more superhero movies and 3D dance sequels and fantasy books split into too many films. Not everything needs sequels. Or prequels. Or sidequels. Or spin offs. Stop chasing dem dollas and just make something worth watching, and I mean really worth watching, not this kind of middle of the road barely there bullshit.