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Some of the problems that come with trying to make a successful sequel stem from trying to live up to the standard set by the original, while also providing something fresh to the audience.
“Horrible Bosses 2” doesn’t really accomplish either of these objectives, but it still generates enough laughs to make for a good trip to the movies.
Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day reprise their lead roles from the original “Horrible Bosses” (2011) as Nick, Kurt and Dale. This time around, the guys have decided to leave their old jobs behind to start their own business with a homemade product they like to call “The Shower Buddy.”
An investor — played by Christoph Waltz — offers to help the trio get started, but it’s soon revealed that he set them up for failure so he can steal and patent their idea. With the bank about to foreclose their business, the guys come up with a scheme to kidnap the investor’s adult son and hold him hostage for ransom. It doesn’t take long for the trio to realize that they’re just as bad at kidnapping as they are at murder.
While there are some different elements to the story, the movie mostly follows the outline of the first film. It doesn’t appear that the main characters learned anything from their first illegal outing as they make several mistakes along the way. There aren’t quite as many moments where I found myself laughing out loud compared to the original, and the villains were mostly underwhelming.
With that said, the three leads still have a lot of chemistry between them, which makes for some funny scenes and raunchy one-liners. Jennifer Aniston reprises her role as the promiscuous Dr. Julia Harris and Jamie Foxx returns as the mentor “Motherf–ah” Jones to add to the mix. Kevin Spacey even makes an appearance as Nick’s sadistic boss from the first movie for some laughs. It all comes together for a movie that’s uneven but still enjoyable.
“Horrible Bosses 2” might not be a great comedy by itself, but it provides a fun continuation of the first film and shouldn’t be missed by fans of it.
