Kill the Boss 2

Hollywood's strategy of wringing every last ounce of life out of a successful idea via sequels, prequels, spin-offs and the "partification" of films has been discussed to death. At this point I'm almost as tired of having that discussion as I am seeing the subject at hand play out in real life, over and over again. It is with this mindset that, upon seeing the trailer for Horrible Bosses 2 for the first time, I loudly sighed in my theater seat and thought to myself, "Why the hell are they doing this?" And despite the actual answer being EASY MONEY, after actually seeing Horrible Bosses 2, I can honestly make a case that maybe – just maybe – these people actually wanted to get together again and make a funny movie for the sake of comedy. Exhibit A: The jokes are solid and, in most cases, funnier than the first film's. Part of that is a result of just letting a joke breathe and flourish naturally via timing and delivery. One gag in particular regarding the use of walkie-talkies nearly made me choke on my popcorn specifically because of how well it was executed through dialog alone. The first Horrible Bosses was more comparable to The Hangover films in that a group of white guys get in over their head and endure insane circumstances, each one more outlandish than the one before it. This time around, while we're still very much in the Hangover spirit of storytelling (I use that term in the loosest of senses), the film is much more reliant upon the comedic chemistry between our three leading men. That leads me to…

Exhibit B: This cast is simply fantastic. Reprising their roles as Nick (Jason Bateman) the straight man, Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) the womanizer, and Dale (Charlie Day) the fool, the three stars of this film bounce lines off one another like bumper cars to increasingly hilarious effect. Bateman shines brightest and that speaks volumes on his talent considering he's been playing variations of this role for nearly his entire career without the shtick showing any signs of wear – at least as far as this film is concerned. Sudeikis and Day get to play human cartoon characters the entire film and it simply just works. Also back is Jamie Foxx as the criminal consigliere, "Motherf***er Jones." While this character did nothing for me the first go-round, this time I find myself enjoying his dimwitted power plays and Big Gulp inflected sit- downs. Jennifer Aniston also returns as her sex-addicted dentist from the first film and gets to appear in the funniest scene of Horrible Bosses 2. Newcomers Chris Pine and Christoph Waltz also bring a welcome exaggerated Big Business brass ballsiness element to the film's central plot that just makes the story that much more relevant. Speaking of the plot…

Exhibit C: This story is conducive to comedy as well as being socially relevant. Nick, Kurt and Dale have created a product that Christoph Waltz agrees to help manufacture. Once the order has been completed, Waltz's character then cancels the order in a strategy that will allow him to purchase the product at pennies on the dollar once our three heroes have to claim bankruptcy. In a climate where we are mistrusting of the unscrupulous 1%, this plot has a sort of resonance that hits home with modern movie goers. I'm also fairly certain that more folks can relate to being screwed over by their boss (or the boss's conniving underling) than they can to their mega-hot co-worker trying to seduce them against their will. Basically, this film corrects every issue I had with the first one in that it unifies the protagonists motivations with the audience's desire for them to stick it to the man. It reaches across the aisle and finds a middle ground we can all agree on – and then it amps it up to mach speed by way of kidnap, hostage taking and much worse.

With all this praise you might think I'm ready to call this a modern comedy classic. I'm not. Horrible Bosses 2 has problems. It's not shy to rely on gross-out gags, it has no shame in reprising jokes from the first film (albeit sparingly so), and it might as well have been directed by Apple CEO Tim Cook because, as Erik Walkuski of ScreenCrush noted in a tweet, Horrible Bosses 2 looks like it was filmed on an iPhone. That is to say there is no personality to the look of the film. It just is. While that's not a major concern for a comedy, it does leave a bit to be desired in the aesthetics department.

I present my case that Horrible Bosses 2 is a win for everyone. Hollywood will make a nice payday while being able to say, "See! People want more of the same" without a hint of irony to be found. Audiences will get to laugh for a straight 110 minutes in the company of characters they already know they like spending time with based on the success of the first film. And although this could mean "more of the same" is all we're ever going to get, I'd like to put a positive spin on things and hope that maybe someone behind the scenes is paying attention. Maybe, just maybe, someone will pick up on the fact that this film is better than the first because it's actually just better in every sense of the word. Probably not though. *a football hits me in the groin and a laugh track explodes from an unknown dimension*

Horrible Bosses 2 is a great movie with a well written storyline and an outstanding comedic cast.The first Horrible Bosses is certainly better,but this sequel this totally holds up and delivers many very entertaining and laugh out loud scenes.The three leads are still in great form the second time around and you can tell that Bateman,Sudekis and Day are all great friends,and they are joined by a star studded supporting cast that includes Christoph Waltz,Chris Pine,Jennifer Aniston,Jamie Foxx,Kevin Spacey and Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks.Pine would have to be my favourite out of the supporting cast,his character had the best dialogue and he was surprisingly great at comedy.The movie thankfully dosen't follow the same premise as the first,which is something that a lot of comedy movies do and I was very grateful that they took a very different approach from the first.Packed with tons of laughs and a great cast,I would definitely recommend Horrible Bosses 2 to fans of the first and to anyone looking for a good comedy.

After they fail to get an investment from a very successful business man,Nick,Kurt and Dale decide to kidnap his son to receive the money they need to run the business.

Best Performance: Jason Sudekis Worst Performance: Lindsay Sloane

I honestly thought it was way better than the first. This movie is ridiculous, the whole scenario is ridiculous which is what makes it funny. The three main actors have the best synergy. Three morons who try to kidnap a millionaire's son for ransom, you can only imagine the chaos that ensues. I really enjoyed it, but the humour is a little silly so it's not for all. You either going to like it or hate it, more specifically Charlie Day. A lot of people complain about his voice, but personally I thought he was one of the funniest. One thing is for sure, this movie does not deserve a 6. It's well above 6 and should easily be ranking 7-7.5 score.

A continuation of the Horrible Bosses series, this second in the series hits a bit more about the complexity of striking out on your own. The three amigos in Nick Hendricks, Kurt Buckman, and Dale Arbus take a risk in establishing their brand of shower heads and seek a stake in the business world. What they discover is that is much more of doggie dog world than they expected. Has a large well known cast from Kevin Spacey, Jaimie Foxx, and Christoph Waltz. Jennifer Aniston is the nastiest I have seen in this film and does push the cougar sex craze angel to the limits. As the trio strike out on their own, they soon discover they need plan b if they want to be able to compete in the world of business. This plan B is not perfect but helps them find a path to being their own bosses.

Yes!!! I knew (My Hollywood Boyfriend) Jason Bateman wouldn't let me down — he and the rest of the cast of Horrible Bosses 2 showed us how to properly put out a funny sequel. After a disappointing Dumb and Dumber To, this movie was a welcome surprise that needs to be on your list when it's your turn to pick. If you are looking at the line-up for the weekend and just want something everyone will enjoy, check out Horrible Bosses 2. It's worth the box office price with a side of popcorn and a coke!

Horrible Bosses 2 was exactly what I was hoping for — a fun, great, laugh out loud movie to step away from reality a bit and hang out with some of our favorite guys. For those of us that like adding movie one-liners to our repertoire, — Bateman, Sudeikis and Day are happy to oblige. There were so many funny moments from the best characters in Horrible Bosses plus the welcome addition of Chris Pine and Christopher Waltz.

The movie didn't try to remake Horrible Bosses. It didn't try to force us into a "thou shall think this is funny" jokes. You don't need to see Horrible Bosses to understand or enjoy the sequel. It seemed to just be a fun movie to make. When you can feel genuine chemistry on the screen it plays out for the audience. Simply put, it's just good comedy with a well written script acted by a group of folks who really seem to enjoy each other. Will it someday be on the AFI Top 100 list? No. Is it something you'll want to see again? Absolutely. Will we add it to our purchased list when released to DVD? Oh yes! It's one of those movies that is good to put on when you have someone visiting or just want a night away from drama (on screen or in life!)

I'm not usually one to comment on the soundtrack — but I must say every song seemed to come straight from my playlist! Who doesn't want to enjoy a bit of Katy Perry "Roar" with some Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "Can't Hold Us"! Fantastic! Are they still making movie soundtrack CD's anymore?!?! Because I'm in!

On a personal note — I also enjoyed the "American Manufacturing" and "American Dream" basis for the script. Being a huge of American Manufacturing, the story was a welcome (and funny) look at the challenges of "Making it in America". One of my favorite lines that I think will get a chuckle out of manufacturing fans — "The American Dream is built in China". Hilarious.

Bottom line, there are some laughs in here for everyone (unless you can't handle potty humor … that's what this is full of!) Take break from the holiday season upon us and check out my boyfriend Jason…ahh… I mean the movie Horrible Bosses 2 ;)