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Created Jul 19, 2011 09:10PM PST • Edited Aug 28, 2020 07:21PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   The fun starts at the box office: “One Horrible Boss,” “Two Horrible Bosses,” “Three Horrible Bosses.”

   However many tickets you buy, Horrible Bosses presents three supremely despicable superiors. Coupled with three grievously put-upon underlings, that adds up to six sources of comic riffing, each LOL funny.

   It’s an improv set-up extraordinaire.

   How extraordinaire? Well, Jennifer Aniston – looking hotter than ever, which is to say molten – comes on like a bunny in heat to a wimpy male hygienist and to Jason Sudeikis, who’s above average but hardly Brad Pitt. That extraordinaire.

   We’re talking over-the-top comic surrealism. Coupled with a sordid level of edginess (an Erotic 3.5 on the Sex scale, a Fierce 2.1 on the Violence scale and a Nasty 4 on the Rudeness scale), it’s a doozy. “Hard R”, as they say these days.

   Funny is funny however. And Horrible Bosses brings the LOLs. Many flash by so fast that they are easy to miss or are overwhelmed by the sordidness. Familiarity will tease them out. Thus these horrible bosses are likely to enjoy lasting popularity in home theaters long after they retire from the multiplex.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   • Sudeikis – 80% LOL 20% Cool
   • Farrell – 60% LOL 40% Scary
   • Aniston – 50% LOL 50% Smokin!
   • Spacey – 35% LOL 65% Carnivorous Jerk
   • Day – 30% LOL 70% wimp
   • Bateman – 25% LOL 75% straightman

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

   Jason Sudeikis is a revelation, really funny and likeable. Guy’s gonna be a moviestar.

   Colin Farrell is nigh on unrecognizable, shrunken in size and with the world’s worst comb-over. Bravo!

   Kevin Spacey is a powerhouse, natch. Masterful.

   Charlie Day is an engaging little man, cracking voice and all. Hollywood always needs a guy like that.

   Jason Bateman isn’t especially likeable nor hugely funny, but is one hell of a straightman.

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

   America’s Sweetheart talks dirty – really dirty – and lusts after men like, well, like some guys must do to Jennifer Aniston. Brilliant.

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Perfect 5.0

   Jamie Foxx slays as ultra-hardass Motherfucker Jones. Funny, really funny.

   Brian George deftly voices an Indian call center guy with identity issues.

   Donald Sutherland plays a small part, an always welcome sign. Plus there’s a Bob Newhart cameo, perfect in a career spoofing movie.

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    Sure it’s over-the-top. Sure it violates plenty of racial, sexual and ethical taboos. It’s also a brilliantly realized comedy that milks every ounce of laughter from a rich set-up.

11. Direction Great 4.0

    Seth Gordon, go to the head of the class. Four Christmases is forgiven.

12. Play Great 4.0

    Michael Markowitz moves uptown by conceiving this story and co-writing the screenplay. Sick, dude.

    Of all the brilliant bits, the subtle play with an OnStar-like car assistance system is perhaps the best. In one fell swoop, it nails our increasing dependence on nav systems and other e-nannies, along with the awkward codependency between the developed Western world and Asian call center lackeys.

13. Music Great 4.0

    Rocking.

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0

    Great sets & props, especially the “douche-bag museum” where Colin Farrell’s cokehead character lives.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 3.2

    Jennifer Aniston talks like Sasha Grey. Colin Farrell dispenses cocaine like sugar. Kevin Spacey makes the real estate office in Glengarry Glen Ross seem like it was run by saints. Sordid indeed.

    This is all fine and dandy for consenting adult audiences. It’s worth noting that Hard R movies like this, trafficking in sexual and racial stereotypes, inevitably slip into the larger media bloodstream. There, impressionable minds encounter them, unsophisticated about the surrealism and inappropriate level of edginess they contain. Just saying…

17. Sex Erotic 3.5

18. Violence Fierce 2.1

19. Rudeness Nasty 4.0

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.4

    Biologically speaking, it is surreal that Jennifer Aniston would connive to rape Charlie Day.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 3.0

23. Biological Surreal 2.6

24. Physical Glib 1.6