When Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day teamed up for 2011’s “Horrible Bosses,” I was excited to see three of my favorite TV actors (“Arrested Development,” “Saturday Night Live” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” respectively) come together on the big screen.
The first “Horrible Bosses” was filled with raunchy and dark humor, joining the ranks of the best R-rated comedies. Pitting these three “pencil-pushers” against formidable bosses played by Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston was a truly original and entertaining idea.
Bateman, Sudeikis and Day proved themselves as a great comedic team, and when the sequel was announced with Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained”) as the villain, it was another reason to rejoice.
But “Horrible Bosses 2” is essentially a tepid remake of the original, bringing the whole cast back to hit the same notes they hit in the first movie. Aniston reprises her role as the hypersexual dentist, Spacey is back as the insane tyrant and Jamie Foxx returns as the guys’ criminal activity advisor.
There is nothing original or new in this film, aside from the addition of Waltz as a billionaire businessman interested in the guys’ “Shower Buddy” product and Chris Pine as Waltz’s spoiled son. Waltz has the ability to play an utterly ruthless villain with a distinctive amount of panache, but he only has one scene in which he showcases that talent, making “Horrible Bosses 2” feel like a great misuse of the award-winning actor.
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Yes, Bateman, Sudeikis and Day have great chemistry, and that is on display here, but the plot of “Horrible Bosses 2” leaves a lot to be desired. It is their chemistry and performances that make the movie worth watching, especially the opening sequence where they unveil the “Shower Buddy” to the world on a morning talk show, complete with innuendo and an unintentionally racist moment, demonstrating that these three have morphed into their own horrible bosses.
From there, it is all downhill, making you wish they would’ve just left well enough alone and let the first “Horrible Bosses” stand on its own. If you haven’t seen the first movie, it comes highly recommended, but the second does not, joining the ranks of the other unnecessary sequels that Hollywood keeps churning out. (“The Woman in Black 2,” “Hot Tub Time Machine 2” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” are among those coming to theaters early next year.)
