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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Movie Review: The Boss Baby

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Laughs, creative premise
Cons: Some jokes questionable for kids
The Bottom Line:
Baby with secrets
Creative and fun movie
Questionable jokes




“Can We Talk About This Over a Juice Box?”

Of the recent animated movies I have missed in the theater, the one I was most intrigued by was The Boss Baby.  To me, this one looked like it could be fun, but I didn’t make a trip to the theater a priority when it came out in 2017.  I finally got a chance to watch it when it was on TV, and I was right.

When we meet Tim (voiced by Miles Bakshi), he is a seven-year-old who has enjoyed his life as an only child.  He has his parents’ complete devotion and a very active imagination.  All that changes when his parents (Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow) introduce him to his new baby brother.  Tim isn’t pleased as the baby keeps everyone up all night and take all his parents’ attention.

Then he discovers the unthinkable – his baby brother is talking (and is voiced by Alec Baldwin).  Tim thought something was off about his brother, but now he needs to prove it to his parents so life can go back to normal.  But what if returning life to normal can only happen by working with his baby brother?

This is the kind of movie I love.  It takes a creative premise and then brings this new world to life with all kinds of details that are just perfect.  There are so many sight gags and things that take on a different meaning in this world that are delightful.  Kids and adults alike will get these jokes.

The laughs and plot points come fast and furious.  You barely have enough time to accept what is going on before you are on to the next thing.  Kids will absolutely love this fast pace.  I thought it was a little frenetic, but that was only a slight problem for me.

Some of the jokes are definitely more adult in nature.  I’m sure kids won’t get what is funny about them, but I thought they were a little over the line.  Parents will definitely want to keep that in mind before they let their kids watch.

While the premise is unique, the plot was fairly obvious once it got set in motion.  Mind you, I’m not complaining.  I was laughing and enjoying myself the entire time.

This movie definitely falls into the cartoony animation style as opposed to the super realistic style, but it works for the movie.

Likewise, the voice cast is perfect at bringing their characters to life.  I forgot who they were and got into the characters they were playing.

I wish I could recommend this movie wholeheartedly, but I do have some reservations about content for kids.  Having said that, I do still recommend The Boss Baby as long as you know what to expect.

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