He's cute! He has got a big head! And he is in theaters this weekend. He is the Boss Baby and his movie is the focus of this review. Hi fans, Robbie K is back again with another review, and this time on the latest animation movie to hit the silver screen. What does this animated feature film have in store? I'm happy to share some thoughts on the subject, so why don't we get started shall we?
LIKES: Good animation Cute Unique Twist on a story Incredibly Fun Funny and Clever Movie References
Summary: As you saw in the trailers, Boss Baby is another example of how incredible our animation technology is and this time it is wrapped up in a cute as a button package. This film may be one of the most adorable animation pieces to hit this year, and many will fall in love with the whimsical charm of this film.
Now that we have the obvious wrapped up let us get to the real gold of this film. It's difficult to find a unique twist on a story, but the risk taken with Boss Baby's story was well executed. The tale has many layers to it involving adapting to new family members, pursuit of your dreams, and of course what is better babies or puppies. With surprising detail and character development, the story is very entertaining and fun as baby and brother try to stop the dastardly puppies from taking over. And the best part is
the whole adventure is fun and fast paced, with seldom a boredom moment in this fast-moving flick.
Let's hit the comedy now. Boss Baby again excels in this aspect providing a variable mix of comedic styles to entertain all ages. Young (and young at heart) will enjoy the simplistic comedy that involves the characters dropping mindless (meme-worthy) one liners, various screams of fear, and dopey run-ins with a wall. The real comedic diamonds though are the cleverer puns, one-liners, and adult references hidden in this movie. Alec Baldwin's sarcastic delivery and edginess worked for me, adding just the right touches to maximize the laughs. Yet, I'm a sucker for all the movie references integrated into this plot and how key they were to the adventure. And if you are nerd like me, you may get an extra thrill keeping your eye out for the next reference.
DISLIKES: Predictable A bit of a stretch A little preachy at times More Babycorp use Better Editing
Summary: Despite how much I enjoyed the story, much of it is still predictable. Boss Baby has some surprising twists, but no manner of fun, can hide the blatantly obvious ending that is to come. While predictability is difficult to avoid, Boss Baby could have tidied things up a bit to give the finale a little more flare. In addition, they could have worked hard to not be so preachy near the end about the importance of family and all that lovey-dovey mush that animation films do all the time.
Let's talk about some developmental issues I had with the movies. First off, the movie has moments that are a bit of a stretch. Yes, I know this movie is ridiculous and a stretch to begin with, but hear me out. Boss Baby's adult cast are a bit idiotic at best, somehow not hovering over the newborns to hear them speaking. If that wasn't enough, some of the more dangerous stunts involved were also not as "noticeable", which after some point should have been discovered. Although fun, this ridiculousness didn't fit so much into the grand scheme of the plot. Next up is Babycorp, the organization the boss baby works for. This large plot point has dramatic build up and gets a large sequence to explain the wonders of this magnificent corporation. Yet after that, the film fails to deliver more on the potential plot points that could have come with it. Had the trailers not built up the baby vs. puppy rivalry as they did, I could have let this go, but with all the advertising I would have liked to see more of this.
Finally, the editing of the movie. Boss Baby has a lot of great parts that foster imagination, love, and all those positive qualities we love in an animated movie. However, much of these moments were not necessary, often just extending the run time under the guise of character development. While I don't think they needed to eliminate these parts (after all it is only 90 minutes), they certainly could have altered these scenes to be a little more relevant to the adventure.
The VERDICT:
Despite all the lower scores, Boss Baby was an entertaining spectacle that is fun, funny, and clever at many points. This movie is certainly adorable and is the perfect family film (for all ages) to hit the screen this year. Yes, it is simplistic and silly, and doesn't have as much magic as a Disney film, but it's nice to have unique, story that doesn't involve making a political ordeal out of it. This reviewer recommends this one for the theater for group outings and those with kids, but definitely check this one out when it hits homes.
My scores are: Animation/Comedy/Family: 7.5 Movie Overall: 6.5
