Spoiler alert-o-meter: Minor spoilers ahead. Nothing to worry about.
Note: This review (like the movie) has been rated
Have you ever hated a boss so much you wanted to kill him or her? Did you watch Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train (or DeVito’s Throw Mamma From the Train) and think, Yep, that’s for me? Then you’re probably in prison, where you may still have the chance to watch Horrible Bosses streaming on your cellmate’s laptop. You’ll see other hapless dopes scrambling to figure out a way to make their work lives better, or at least tolerable, by killing their respective bosses.
There’s Nick (Jason Bateman), who’s condescending asshole of a boss (Kevin Spacey, dialing it down just a scoche) has been making him work crazy hours for years by dangling the carrot of a promotion to VP of Sales.
Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) has a boss at a distribution warehouse who’s a clueless asshole (played with gleeful abandon by an unleashed Colin Farrell) who is in line to inherit the company business from his nice guy dad (Donald Sutherland). When Dad Sutherland kicks from a heart attack, Kurt’s fate as Colin’s whipping boy is sealed.
Dale (Charlie Day) is a dental hygienist whose boss, an oversexed cougar dentist (Jennifer Aniston), sexually harasses him. That last one, you’re thinking: Oh, that’s not so bad, to be harassed by Ms. Aniston. And that’s what Dale’s friends say. But all Dale wants out of life is to be a husband. He’s engaged to a super nice girl, and this cougar dentist is threatening his dream. Oh, and he’s a registered sex offender (arrested for public urination in a park – at night. Can that happen?), so he’s afraid if he loses this job he won’t find another.
Well, yes, finding another job for anyone can be tough. But not impossible. Why these average dudes don’t even consider such an option is never broached. Okay, suspend your disbelief starting…now! What do you do when you want to kill your collective bosses? Hire a hit man. The hapless boys set their GPS to the bad part of town (Can you do that?) and they end up in a shady bar where they meet one Motherfucker Jones.
Jamie Foxx plays Motherfucker. He charges the boys five grand. Instead of agreeing to kill the bosses, he acts as their murder consultant and suggests that they trade murders. Each kills the other’s boss. Switcheroo. Strangers on a Train. Not a bad idea, the boys think. So much for their five large. It’s fun to see little Charlie Day say things like, “I thought we were hiring you to kill our bosses, Motherfucker.”
From here the movie takes off, as much as this middle of the road comedy can. The boys stake out their bosses' houses to find out information they can use in their dastardly plans. For example, in Colin Farrell’s house they find a stash of cocaine. They discover that Kevin Spacey is allergic to peanuts when Dale resuscitates him after he succumbs to an allergic reaction – saving a life was just more fun then letting him die. And for Ms. Aniston – well, what you see is what you get. She’s nothing more than a sexpot who likes to seduce apparently any random male who happens by her apartment, including Kurt.
These scenes take on a manic energy that carries us through to the ending. Much of the humor comes from seeing these heretofore normal guys thrust into one totally absurd situation after another. Part of the entertainment value is watching how this action plays out. Do they really kill the bosses? And if not, how do they resolve these conflicts? So I won’t divulge too much more here. Except to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see how it all went down.
Like I say, each character confronts his situation a little differently. Nick is the straightest of the bunch, and while he finds himself doing things he probably never imagined (snooping around his boss’s house, witnessing a murder, inadvertently snorting cocaine) he keeps a cool if dumbfounded head. Jason Bateman is often the more low-key cog in any movie he’s in. He perfected this style early on during his stint on the career resuscitator, Arrested Development. Here I would like to have seen him cut loose a bit more. But maybe he was saving his energy for Change Up, his second movie of the summer, which looks equally manic, or more so.
Jason Sudeikis plays a nice, genial guy who gets along with all his co-workers and actually enjoys his job (aside from his boss). Unfortunately he does nothing with this set up and ends up playing Kurt as a single doofus on the make (he’s a ladies man. Go figure. I don’t see it myself.) and much of the last part of the movie he plays it like an extended SNL skit.
Charlie Day is the one to watch. His voice mixes a high and low register at once, meeting in the middle with a gravelly scrape. Like he just finished a pack of filterless Camels or he’s been shouting most his life. He’s the most low-key of the bunch, just a nice guy who wants things to stay status quo. He turns up the energy throughout, and while exhausting to watch, he keeps things rolling. If it weren’t for his Dale, these guys would probably still be working for the same bosses by the end of the movie. That they don’t is a testament to good old-fashioned American doofusity and avarice.
Horrible Bosses is served best in a crowded theater. Yes, I was carried away watching it as a diverting piece of entertainment. It was a hot night in Lowell, and the Showcase was packed. The audience enjoyed it. The actors also seem like they’re enjoying it. There’s probably a great blooper reel, if the outtakes shown over the credits are any indication. Overall, if I knew what I was in for I might have waited for the DVD/Streaming/On Demand/Blu Ray release.
Stats:
Theater location: Lowell Showcase, Tuesday, July 19th, 7:50 pm. Price: 6.00. Viewed solo. Snack: apple, chopped and bagged.
Coming Attractions:
30 Minutes or Less. A hapless kid and his stupid buddy are forced to hold up a bank for the real bank robbers, who are even more stupid and hapless. It's a comedy! With Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, and Fred Ward. From the director of Zombieland.
Final Destination 5 (Or, Can I have just one more destination?). Sorry producers of Final Destination 5, I will never see your movie. You can stop sending me free passes (doesn't happen) or invitations to your Hollywood mansions to see a special screening (would never happen). Seeing a movie about a group of kids who cheat death, only to find out that they have to die systematically anyway unless they murder some random person first is just not my idea of a fun night at the movies. Unless it's in 3-D! It's not, is it?
Footloose. Remake. No improvement over the original here.
Change Up. Ryan Reynolds is a single guy popular with the ladies, but tired of his lifestyle. Jason Bateman is a married guy with a couple kids, also tired of his lifestyle. After pissing in a magic fountain (seriously!) the two switch lives. It's an R-rated Freaky Friday rip off. But, this one has potential.
Crazy Stupid Love. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, Julianne Moore. A young couple and an older couple going through dramedy romantic escapades, while Ryan, a player, shows Steve, a shy, awkward dude, the ropes to picking up women. At least that's what I think happens. Along with some other stuff.
Our first album short, in 2006 Honda Civic Si has left us with a very positive impression, and last week the car at the headquarters of CNET did nothing to change that. Praise for the rev-happy engine and slick transmission was universal, and everyone who drove the Si came out smiling.
The previous generation Honda Civic Si was a great disappointment to the faithful himself, without running and agility that had defined the earlier versions. This eighth iteration is heavier and bigger than the car it replaces, but it is significantly faster, making it more comfortable and inspiring at the wheel.
Also satisfy the longtime fans is the return to a schema true two-door coupe with a decidedly aggressive style, the more separate the new hatchback car loved it replaces. trunk volume is slightly below rated capacity of the hatchback, but the rear seats for 2006 Honda Civic Si and trunk both offer usable space, given the overall dimensions of the car.
Honda Civic Coupe Red Honda Civic Coupe Red Honda Civic Coupe Red Honda Civic Coupe RedThe interior of the Honda Civic Si 2006 is distinguished from their siblings less sporty Civic enhanced with sports seats, a thick steering wheel rim, three-spoke, aluminum pedals and texture. The short-throw shifter for the six-speed transmission is also aluminum with a leather grip.
The Civic coupe raked windshield makes a lot of space for the layout of the dashboard on two levels with a large analog tachometer dominates the lower part and a digital speedometer flanked by temperature gauges and fuel hump on top. The low, wide trace visibility translates to large front and rear over the stumps of displacements beltline rise rear wing and to the point of view in the back very nice. A standard power sunroof increases the airy feel in the cockpit. Honda Civic Coupe Red Honda Civic Coupe Red Honda Civic Coupe Red Interior features are well designed technology with satellite navigation to differentiate the two trim levels available. Our test car was not equipped with the navigation system voice recognition, which also includes a PCMCIA card reader and an in-dash XM radio tuner, but the auxiliary audio input and MP3/WMA playback capability are pretty standard features. We tested the navigation system in our previous analysis of 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid and concluded that it is one of the first, the option is worth.
At a list price of $ 20,540, including a $ 550 destination and handling charge, the 2006 Honda Civic Si offers an overall performance of any of its direct competitors and are better able to complete the value equation with good build quality, up- to-date technology resources, and fuel economy that will save dollars over the property.
The Honda Civic is an automobile manufactured by Honda. It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a 3-door hatchback version that September. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front wheel drive, like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.
Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, rudimentary heater, foam cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers, and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. The current Civic has become much more luxurious with satellite-linked navigation, a six-speed manual, power locks and power windows available. Still, many regard the Civic as representing a good value for the money, combining good performance, reliability and economy, as well as a very low rate of depreciation.
The Civic evolved from having a 1170 cc engine (1973) to having engines with larger capacities and more creature comforts (air conditioning, power windows, etc.) through the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s.
In 2001, Honda announced the release of the Civic Type-R for the EP chassis, a more sporty variant of the most recent model of Civic and successor to the EK9 Civic Type-R. Unlike the EK9 version, which was produced solely in Japan, the EP Civic Type-R is produced in the United Kingdom and exported to Japan. The EP Civic Type-R has a specific output of 200 PS (197 hp/147 kW) at 8000 rpm, a six-speed manual transmission, a reworked exterior with a bullet-like hatchback design, aeroform bumpers, spoiler, and 17 in wheels. The interior of the Type-R includes Recaro seats and a Momo steering wheel, and the model also includes Type-R-specific badging, a helical limited-slip differential, and has been reported to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about 6.6 seconds (6.4 in facelifted model).
The hybrid version became available in 2003, which uses both a small (1.3 L) main gasoline engine and auxiliary electric motors. The electric motors are powered by a battery array which is charged by regenerative braking during deceleration, which reduces exhaust emissions and extends fuel mileage.
The new Sport Hatchback model with futuristic styling was unveiled in August 2005 for the European market only. This model featured from launch a 1.4 L I-DSI and a 1.8 L i-VTEC rated at 83 PS (81 hp/61 kW) and 140 PS (138 hp/103 kW) respectively, with 177 and 207 km/h (110 and 129 mph) top speeds and 14.2 and 8.6 sec 0-100 km/h sprint. The Sport Hatchback is also available with a 2.2 L I-CTDI Diesel engine from the Accord, Edix/FR-V and CR-V, rated at 140 PS (138 hp/103 kW) and is capable of 205 km/h (127 mph) and accelerating from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds. Honda Civic Coupe Honda Civic Coupe Black Honda Civic Coupe Red Honda Civic Coupe Honda Civic Coupe Honda Civic Coupe
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