The Boss Baby (2017) User Reviews

Give into the Cuteness

[Jared_Andrews · 5/10 · 11 August 2017]

First of all, recognize that this is a children's movie. So, a completely coherent plot isn't even the icing on the cake. It's more like one extra and very beautiful icing flower on top of the icing on the cake. What I'm saying is not all kids' movies totally make sense, so don't get too mad at Boss Baby for not totally making sense.

The standard movie of this ilk is littered with inconsistencies and overlooked logical flaws. In that sense, Boss Baby is a standard movie.

In a much different sense, Boss Baby is far, far from standard. It's brimming with creativity and bold stylistic choices. Not everything works, but enough does to justify the attempts.

The creative dynamic comes from the nature of the storytelling. The movie unfolds through the wildly inventive eyes of 7-year-old Tim. His boundless imagination makes him a questionable narrator, like Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, except he's not a psychotic murderer.

At any moment, Tim can suddenly morph into a ninja (to give one example) and his perceived world morphs accordingly to fit his current fantasy. This creates a number of whimsical and forceful action sequences that will mesmerize children and should keep adults at least mildly amused.

Digging a bit deeper, the movie is really about the love between brothers. Well, that and the obvious yet still funny metaphor that babies are really in charge. The brotherly moments work surprisingly well for the most part. They even elicited in me some of the intended emotions during a few key scenes when the baby realized that Tim cared for him and vice versa.

Despite being completely predictable, these moments are still touching. Maybe it's the cartoon cuteness or maybe the filmmakers tactfully achieved something here. Either way, it works.

Overall, I came away more satisfied than I anticipated, partly because I accepted Boss Baby for what it was. Your kids will enjoy this movie. If you relax your critical analysis, and most importantly give into the cuteness, you may enjoy it too.

This Movie Is The Boss At Being Clever And Adorable

[rgkarim · 7/10 · 1 April 2017]

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

Lots of fun for the whole family

[Gordon-11 · 13 April 2017]

This film tells the story of a seven year old boy, who has very busy but loving parents. One day, his parents bring home a baby boy. He gets intensely jealous from sibling rivalry, until he discovers that the baby can talk and is actually working for a company.

"The Boss Baby" is a really fun film for the whole family. The baby is super cute, and everyone will fall in love with the baby in an instant. The sibling rivalry plot is convincing, then the fantasy kicks in. The jokes are funny and family friendly. Actually everything about the film, from the plot to the characters are likable, fun and cute. I was very entertained.

DreamWorks has always favored frivolous humor over meaningful insight

[rachaelblakeegypt · 6/10 · 15 April 2017]

DreamWorks has always favored frivolous humor over meaningful insight. They aren't Pixar. This isn't necessarily always a bad thing as they have had some solid hits in the recent years. Kung Fu Panda remains my favorite of the series from the studio. With The Boss Baby, their signature humor remains intact. I laughed quite often in the early stages of the film. Alec Baldwin is hilarious voicing the baby at the center, however, while I admire DreamWorks for getting ambitious with the concept of the film, it is almost so high-concept, that the core audience will be completely lost and the adults will shrug at how convoluted the many twists in the plot are. Still, The Boss Baby is frequently bouncy and frenetic and will entertain the kiddies, even if they don't get all the plot points. In the end, however, the need of the directors to pile on a thickly saccharine ending that keeps rolling on, makes the film end rather disingenuously.

Not as Bad as I Thought But Still Not the Best DreamWorks Film Out There

[Clank_Zoka · 6/10 · 9 April 2017]

After I saw the trailers, I knew this would be the Rugrats/Baby Geniuses and Look Who's Talking movie from DreamWorks despite being based off a book, I went In expecting It to be average AND......I was pleasantly surprised by this movie.

It's not Trolls level of Unnecessary and way too hip and modern, the film plays like a Disney cartoon from the 50s and 60s, the way the animation looks, the setting of this movie, the music and the plot, It feels like a cartoon but turned Into a movie, with that said I actually liked the movie and what It offered.

The animation has that Storks look (despite the Idea being similar to that movie), It has a cute look to It, while It does have different styles when Tim goes Into his Imagination worlds where he's a pirate, explorer Etc, It makes It relate able and Interesting and even the moral (which I won't give away but I think anyone can guess what It Is) can relate to most kids who watch this movie, sure the movie makes no sense and It's very cartoon, but It does have a good moral.

The characters are pretty fun and well voice acted, Alec Baldwin Is great as the title character, the kid who voices Tim Is pretty great too, but the rest of the characters are pretty funny too.

But the movie does suffer from a simple but predicable plot, pretty obvious toilet, fart humor, It does have adult humor but It does comes off as obvious as well despite being funny.

So yeah, the movie's...an improvement from Trolls, It's on par with Home In the pretty good category, but It's not the best from DreamWorks, hopefully Captain Underpants will Improve from this movie.

I'm giving Boss Baby a 6/10.

Goo goo ga ga

[lockoffmydad · 2/10 · 20 June 2018]

This movie has as much entertainment value as reading the title of this review.

Breathtaking cute!

[ElliesWonder · 8/10 · 13 April 2017]

Pro:Cute. Con:none

SO ADORABLE. I am money worshipper (just kidding), love baby boss's expensive suit and watch, love all money throwing, and handle things with tickets.

The mature voice of baby boss and his baby body full of millions of stark contrasts! Just like the little gangsta fox from Zootopia. Also the ending screen is so cute, new baby boss coming!

What the world needs now is love, sweet love...I did like Boss Baby

[Humphreywashere · 6/10 · 2 April 2017]

I saw this move with three children, 8, 7 and 3 years of age. They all wanted to see this movie rather than watch 'Beauty and the Beast'. When given the option, it was a uniform cry of "boss baby, boss baby". So off I went. I thought it would be awful. There were single male and female adults of all ages in the audience, as well as parents with children. My 3 year old laughed a lot in the beginning saying "boss baby is funny". After that, she got a bit lost and restless, but got settled again in the second half. The others were focused throughout and said they liked it more than than the 'trolls movie'.

I laughed a lot. The reference to other movies and adult themes was very clever and funny (ie Matrix, Elvis impersonators, etc). The Boss baby character is hilarious. I loved the reflections on parenthood, feeding the baby, dummy sucking, milk bottles, diapers (nappies), vomit, lack of sleep, etc. Sibling competition for parental attention is demonstrated well. The new baby is always the 'boss baby' in any family! The story made me wonder- was it all the child's imagination? The ending was heartwarming and overall, this movie was a nice surprise.

Deserves a Razzie

[cdxlii · 1/10 · 20 January 2018]

The only two thing you need to know about this garbage movie is that it's a) absolutely obsessed with baby ass to an uncomfortable degree that is neither funny nor watchable b) it has a blowjob joke between a 7 year old and a baby. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that somehow none of the people who worked on this asked themselves if this would be a good idea. So here we are.

Really loved this film

[risinghouse · 10/10 · 3 April 2017]

I really enjoyed this film. It was imaginative, fun and just thoroughly entertaining throughout the whole time I was watching it. It had some actually genuine heartwarming moments that didn't feel manufactured like some other animated films I've seen in recent past. The animation was also just gorgeous. I really loved the look of the film, I thought it had a really nice aesthetic style and felt like a classic piece of animation that if CGI was around in the seventies, it would've looked like this. All in all, I personally loved this film. If you want something that's just plain fun, bizarre and imaginative- with a touch of warmth- I'd say check this flick out. But if you're looking for something with more of a concrete plot and a straight forward narrative, you probably won't find that here.

No spoilers, just a warning

[knnknn · 1/10 · 24 June 2017]

I will down-vote every movie that normalizes violence against male genitalia (in this case the young boys').

I never saw an animated Hollywood movie that made fun of or considered it appropriate for a family movie to show how women or girls are kicked between their legs.

Typical anti-male Hollywood trash.

Awesome movie!!!

[NoahAndersen845 · 25 March 2017]

The Boss Baby is an excellent movie for kids and a great movie for families too. When I saw the trailer I REALLY wanted to see the movie and I felt like the happiest person on Earth when I saw it. The movie has funny characters, babies, and more things that would make anyone laugh. Most of all, I enjoyed the movie because of the relationships and jokes. The Boss Baby is sure to make brothers and sisters get along.

Simple generic animation, but I really like how the story was told.

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 1 April 2017]

When I first herd about The Boss Baby I did not think I would like it, despite the trailer showing me just how funny Alec Baldwin was going to be in it. It just did not sound like the best animated feature Dreamworks could possibly do, but as it turns out, Boss Baby is real enjoyable, mostly because of the story over the animation.

Baldwin plays The Boss Baby, a middle management exec for Babycorp (That delivers babies to the world), sent undercover as Tim's brand new baby brother, in an attempt to stop puppies from cornering the market on cute, (Which has decrease the production of infants) by stopping the manufacturing of the ultimate Puppy.

What's so good about The Boss Baby is how they work it in that the purpose of the film is Tim using his imagination to adjust to a new baby coming into the house that he once alone had the love and attention of both parents all to himself. A very uniquely done animated film, if not the best animated film. Just a great children story on children. Reminds me of Pixar's Inside Out.

Very funny and entertaining.

http://cinemagardens.com

beyond my expectation

[dongchenxi · 7/10 · 2 April 2017]

This movie is much better than its score shown in film website,it deserves higher score. i decided to watch this movie in cinema since i saw its trailer online,it is quite cute and attracting trailer.But when i search it in IMDb, i found it is only 5.8? That 5.8 stop my step into cinema,and i start to find alternative movie to watch, and i found "ghost in the shell", and i watched its trailer, a bit embarrassing and awkward,and i can strongly feel that the movie lost the main spirit of the original animation,but i saw it has nearly 7 point in IMDb. So, i decided to ignore the score and go for the boss baby, and i am quite enjoy the boss baby,family, love,humor...i quite like it.

Entertaining...

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 7/10 · 2 April 2017]

"Put the cookie down! Cookies are for closers." It seems this entire movie is created around that one joke. I mean, has there ever been any question that anyone other than Alec Baldwin could have sold the high concept of a cutthroat, suit wearing, and management oriented baby? What other voice would have struck the right balance between referentially satisfying and patently absurd? Gary Cole? Of course the film's reference to Baldwin's character in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) is twenty-five years old and at times that's how stale some of the film's gags feel. Luckily for the movie and its intended audience, the premise is grounded in its sweetly irreverent narrative told from the perspective of a seven-year-old boy.

Timmy (Bakshi) is a stereotypical cartoon movie child. He's precocious, easily identifiable, humorously naïve, charismatic and imaginative to the point of coming up with elaborate hijinks on the fly to further the plot. In fact, the only difference between him and Elliott from E.T. (1982) is he actually gets all the attention he craves from his doting parents (Kimmel and Kudrow), complete with a regular five story, four hug and one song bedtime special. That is until The Boss Baby (Baldwin) arrives with his briefcase full of memos on a mission from the aptly named Baby Corp. After a time squabbling, Timmy and the Boss Baby team up to uncover a mass conspiracy involving their parents' employer, a late addition villain (Buscemi) and puppies who have apparently been stealing all the love.

The inner-mechanics of Boss Baby's world is riddled with holes, pacing issues and confusion but because the entire story is being told by an adult Timmy (Maguire) recollecting his interpretation of events, it never seems to matter. It rather allows the film to truly revel in some creative slapsticky moments of goofy fun young children are primed to enjoy. There are plenty of Loony Tune-esque chase sequences, quickly-paced flights of fancy, playful sight-gags and plenty and I mean plenty of butt related jokes. It may prove a little repetitive for attentive parents but considering the prime demographic is going to be darting back and forth between bathroom-breaks it's not like parents of young children will mind.

Of course telling the entire yarn from Timmy's POV proves a double-edged sword at times. The film goes through great pains to deliver the stakes needed to elevate its one-joke premise. But since the emotional arc of the story is all but written in stone from the first act, all of the tension feels hollow and redundant. We're seeing what amounts to a holiday free A Christmas Story (1983) with a talking baby. Yet while that movie ruminates on "an interesting Christmas" this movie asks; "will our two heroes wind up being brothers." Bereft of any real consequence, The Boss Baby winds up being a mildly entertaining family-oriented feature with a couple of good sigh-gags and some pretty outdated jokes. The larger message is just uncommon enough for tacit approval though I'm a little worried some kids might figure out alternative uses for baby bungee bouncers. As a younger brother myself I'm surprised I lasted this long with my siblings in the house.

What is so funny about this movie??????

[williamdorval · 1/10 · 31 May 2017]

Boring and violent for kids. I cannot recommend a film that green lights violence against boys. When did kicking a boy in the groin (that could kill him) become funny? Is punching a woman in the breasts hilarious? This disgusting example of violence to males is teaching a new generation of children that a groin kick that can kill a boy is hysterically funny. So why do they preach you never, ever hit a woman - another shining example of Hollywood's sexist hypocrisy. Garbage film, Bad script. Alec Baldwin of all people should know better than participate in this kind of male bashing.

Fun, lighthearted with extraordinary performance from Alec Baldwin

[rannynm · 9/10 · 24 March 2017]

Dreamworks' The Boss Baby, is an extraordinary, fun and lighthearted animated film based on an award-winning picture book by Marla Frazee.

7-year-old Tim (Miles Christopher Bakshi) had the perfect life and the full attention of his parents until one day, a new arrival took it all away and became the Boss of his family. Tim and Boss Baby face sibling rivalry, trying to both win the affection of their parents. Much to Tim's surprise, the two bond when they join forces to uncover the evil plot of the CEO of Puppy Co. And in the midst of it all, Tim and his new brother Boss Baby (Alec Baldwin) learn the true meaning of the love of family.

The Boss Baby is fabulously directed by Tom McGrath, who you might recognize from his work on all three Madagascar movies and Megamind. He says that the movie is partially an apology letter to his own brother for all the grief he put him in when they were young.

My favorite character is Boss Baby. Alec Baldwin voices this character with great panache. His witty personality mixed with a take-charge attitude bursts through the screen. I feel that Baldwin's voice talent in this is one of the key reasons this movie shines.

My favorite scene is when Tim and Boss Baby work together to sneak into Puppy Co. and attempt to steal the secret file. Watching a working large scale replica of one of my favorite games when I was young (Mouse Trap) was particularly fun. Also, there are many toys from the 70s and 80s included which I enjoyed. Several times I found myself times trying to find them in the scene. There are so many magical moments throughout. As an only child, it's funny that there are times the movie made me want to have a brother and, other times, I'm happy to be an only child.

The Boss Baby is an enjoyable film safe to keep you and your family thoroughly entertained. Director Tom McGrath states "I want this movie to draw you in and make you move to the edge of your seat, not pull away from the screen" and I believe he achieved that goal. It is rated PG for mild humor and I recommend it for ages 6 to 14, although the whole family will enjoy it. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars. It opens in theaters nationwide on March 31, 2017 so, go check it out.

Reviewed by Tristan T., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.

The Boss Baby: Predictably quaint

[Platypuschow · 7/10 · 30 August 2017]

Alec Baldwin stars as the titular character of this much hyped Dreamworks animation and though it's not exactly going to blow anyone away it's an entertaining fluff piece.

Predictably sappy, following the usual tropes of the genre and with the type of humour customary for these types of movies you can do a lot worse with 90 minutes.

One thing I liked was just how much adult humour they got in, that kind of lightweight stuff to appease the parents watching these kind of films with their kids.

The only shocking thing to come away from this is the fact the sequel isn't available until 2021! Fun stuff but don't expect any surprises.

The Good:

Quaint in that predictable way

The Bad:

Quaint in that predictable way

Things I learnt from this movie:

Puppies are evil

Babies coming from women's vaginas is a false rumour (Never did sound right)

Subliminal and Pedophilia References

[christine-36200 · 1/10 · 9 August 2017]

This movie is one piece of work.

Im highly sensitive to hidden messages and symbolism and let me tell you that this movie goes beyond trying to normalize a corporate world. After the intro, i was already sort of bothered by some of the "humor" within the scene. I hadnt said a word to my husband about my concern when HE himself looked at me dead faced and said "there is aaaallloottt of subliminal s*** going on here." As we continued to watch, one reference after another and even action was just blowing us away. How could any of the creators be OK with this kind of humor thats supposedly aimed at children? Its sickening and down right desensitizing to young minds. There's nothing OK with subliminal messages suggesting sexual acts between a grown a** man in the form of a baby and a prepubescent boy. There really is something going on within the entertainment industry and this movie very well suggests that.

"The Boss Baby" is pretty creative and a lot of fun!

[dave-mcclain · 8/10 · 31 March 2017]

I learned something important about children right after my newborn baby girl came home from the hospital. That first night, she slept like… well, like a baby. My two-year-old… cried like one. He was uncharacteristically restless, up and down all night, while his sister seemed perfectly content (for that first night anyway). Having a second child in the home is tough to get used to – especially for the first child. To that firstborn, it can suddenly seem like absolutely everything has changed and that the new arrival is now more important than anything or anyone else. When the new baby suddenly seems to be getting all the attention and when his or her every cry is answered immediately and every whim is catered to, that baby can seem to be… the boss. It's that phenomenon, which parents with more than one child know so well, that formed the basis for a 2010 children's book by American author/illustrator Marla Frazee, and the animated feature film that the book inspired, 2017's "The Boss Baby" (PG, 1:37).

Tim (voiced by Miles Bakshi) is a typical 7-year-old. He has an active imagination, he loves to play with his parents and he's happy. He's happy with the way everything in his life is. Right now. Today. But that all changes when his parents (Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow) step out of a taxi cab, enter the family home, and introduce Tim to his brand new baby brother. Tim quickly feels neglected. For example, his former bedtime ritual of both of his parents coming to his room to read him stories, sing him a special song and hug and kiss him goodnight turns into both of them running up and down the hall towards the baby's room and then passing out from exhaustion on the livingroom couch. But not only does Tim resent the new baby, he becomes suspicious of him. That baby doesn't seem to be acting like a regular baby. Tim thinks the little tyke isn't who he seems to be. Tim thinks that baby is up to something, and… Tim is absolutely right! He catches his baby brother talking – talking in complete sentences – on a (toy) telephone! Tim confronts the baby and the baby answers him! This Boss Baby (voiced by Alec Baldwin) tells Tim that he's on an undercover mission for Baby Corp., the company which produces and distributes babies all over the world. Baby (whose actual name we don't hear until late in the movie) demands Tim's help, promising that once his job there is done, he'll leave Tim's house for good. Tim's parents work for Puppy Co, which is developing a new kind of puppy that will cut into the amount of family love available to babies more than any previous puppy model before it. With Tim's help (and the help of other babies – voiced by Conrad Vernon, Eric Bell Jr., ViviAnn Yee and David Soren – whose parents also work at the company), Baby plans to infiltrate Puppy Co, find out what they're working on, and stop the company and their CEO (Steve Buscemi) from turning any more baby love into puppy love.

"The Boss Baby" is pretty creative and a lot of fun! Screenwriter Michael McCullers (the scribe of the last two "Austin Powers" movies, "Baby Mama", "Hotel Transylvania 3" and "Shrek 5") successfully expands the premise of Frazee's novel to make it worthy of a feature film. Director Tom McGrath (helmer of the "Madagascar" movies and "Megamind") makes sure the screen is filled with colorful, imaginative and enjoyable scenes to propel this childhood adventure to its very satisfying conclusion. The talented voice cast delivers solid performances and the computer animation lives up to the high standards that Movie Fans expect from DreamWorks films. The story is a throwback to earlier styles of animated kid adventures, reminding me of "Toy Story" and similar older movies). The result is a film that's mostly kid-friendly (with just a little coarse language and a bunch of toilet jokes and shots of baby butts) and may even make parents feel a little nostalgic for movies from their childhoods. "The Boss Baby" is pretty boss – and is great fun for the whole family. "A-"

One Of The Worst Films To Come Out From DreamWorks Animation Studios' Canon

[CinemaClown · 21 May 2017]

What has happened to DreamWorks Animation? Sure it has lived under the shadow of the much successful & far-more influential Pixar Animation Studios throughout its existence but it also had its moments over the years with quality films such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda & How to Train Your Dragon but their recent efforts have been highly mediocre.

Take their latest film: The Boss Baby. It not only marks the continuation of the rough phase this animation studio has been going through of lately but is one of their most forgettable films to date. Boring, unimaginative & not at all funny, it's a movie made exclusively for kids and is nothing but a test of patience for the grown-ups accompanying those little rascals.

The Boss Baby tells the story of a wildly imaginative 7-year old boy whose perfect life is uprooted when his baby brother shows up. Arriving in a taxi, wearing a suit & carrying a briefcase, this baby is unlike any but when the real identity of the toddler is revealed and his motives are made known, the siblings put their rivalry aside to stop a ridiculous plot from going live.

Directed by Tom McGrath, The Boss Baby doesn't waste much time in introducing its ridiculous premise but there isn't one moment when it's able to generate any sort of interest whatsoever and remains dull throughout its runtime. Sure it looks cute, and the animation is rich & colourful but its thinly written plot & poorly sketched characters make sure that it never becomes compelling.

Moments that are supposed to be funny appear more stupid than amusing. The humour in itself is so childish that it has negligible effect on the grown-ups. The voice actors chip in with fine inputs but the characters themselves are so bland and devoid of any soul that their work doesn't make much of a difference in the end. Lastly, even Hans Zimmer contributes with a terrible soundtrack.

On an overall scale, The Boss Baby is one of the worst films of the year, and is cringeworthy from start to finish. Kids may enjoy it for what it is but they are stupid anyway. The grown-ups, however, will have a hard time, for the plot is going to feel longer than 98 minutes if they're not intrigued by what the film has in store for them. DreamWorks Animations needs to bounce back and someday it definitely will but turds like The Boss Baby certainly won't do it.

Never fully expanding on the promise of its appealing conceit, 'The Boss Baby' is typical hijinks-driven entertainment, despite boasting a pitch-perfect Alec Baldwin

[moviexclusive · 6/10 · 23 March 2017]

Loosely based on Marla Frazee's 2010 picture book of the same name, 'The Boss Baby' pits a seven-year-old boy named Tim against his arrogant, manipulative and precocious walking-and-talking baby brother. Wait, did we say walking and talking? Oh yes, this titular infant is no ordinary baby; dubbed the Boss Baby from start to finish, he wears a suit and tie and carries a tiny briefcase wherever he goes. That's because he happens to be an ambitious management executive from the baby-making organization known as Baby Corp, whose deliberate entry into the Templetons' family is really for cover to infiltrate arch-rival company Puppyco and stop their newest invention – the ne'er-grow-old 'Forever Puppy' – that threatens to further divert humans' affection (presumed to be finite) away from babies. If all that sounds a little far-fetched, you're absolutely right; in fact, these events are happening inside the mind of a wildly imaginative only child, who concocts this elaborate scenario as an analogy of how his newborn sibling is usurping the time, attention and love of his parents.

Because most of it happens inside Tim's head (who narrates the story as an adult voiced by Tobery Maguire), director Tom McGrath (co- director of the three 'Madagascar' movies) and screenwriter Michael McCullers (Mike Myers' co-writer on the second and third 'Austin Powers' movies) get plenty of leeway to let their own imagination run wild. That includes conceiving conception as coming off an assembly line, where babies are diapered, powdered and sorted into 'Family' or 'Management' depending on how they respond to stimuli. That also involves throwing corporate politics into the mix, where the Boss Baby's mission success decides whether he gets promoted to CEO, upgrades to a huge office of his own complete with a private toilet, and joins the ranks of his idol 'Super Colossal Big Fat Boss Baby'. And last but not least, that culminates in the foiling of a dastardly plot hatched by Puppyco's CEO, Francis E. Francis (Steve Buscemi), to flood every corner of the world with his 'Forever Puppys' packed into a rocket ready for launch.

The late introduction of Francis E. Francis shifts the proceedings into hyperdrive, and like 'Penguins of Madagascar' or 'The Croods', delivering loud frenetic action becomes the priority in the third and final act. From the point Tim and the Boss Baby sneak into Puppyco's company headquarters on 'Bring Your Kids to Work' Day, it is one non-stop action sequence after another as the unlikely duo evade Francis' henchman within their suburban neighbourhood en route to the airport, smuggle on board a plane full of Elvis impersonators bound for Vegas, and stop the rocket countdown from a Vegas convention centre before the 'Forever Puppies' overrun the globe. All that feverish to-and-fro comes at the expense of heart, humour or even neglecting the simple truth behind all that fantasy, i.e. that Tim's just plain terrified that he is being replaced – and that not even a supposedly heartwarming resolution that has Tim finally embrace his baby brother and the latter 'family-hood' can compensate for.

In fact, it is the earlier two – and much simpler – acts that have much more meaning and laughs. An earlier sequence that pits Tim against the Boss Baby and his other Baby Corp spies in the vicinity to the theme music from that 70s TV show 'S.W.A.T.' is a lot more entertaining and inventive than the concluding melee. Even more inspired is that which introduces us to Baby Corp, centred not just on a revisionist explanation of where babies come from but also why the Boss Baby was not like most of the others bound for domestication from the beginning. There are other amusing touches of wit – such as how the Boss Baby gives a virtual tour of Baby Corp by asking Tim to suck aggressively on a special pacifier or how the Boss Baby delivers himself to the Templetons by taxi and funk waddling up the doorstep or even Tim's daily escapist adventures that turn dinner into a hunt through the Congo, daily baths into an undersea mission to save his parents from inside the jaws of a shark and his alarm clock into a Gandalf wizard wannabe named Wizzy.

But a big reason for the Boss Baby's sheer hilarity is none other than Alec Baldwin's flawless voice delivery, this being the fifth time he's lending his signature deadpan to an animated movie. Perfectly capturing the eponymous character's infantilism, brashness, egotism, insecurity and affection, Baldwin brings the man-child to vivid life, nailing the punchlines and even elevating some of the less clever puns. Indeed, it is hardly a stretch to say that Baldwin is the film's standout element, its primary source of cheer, exuberance and wackiness, and quite simply the one reason that makes it worth catching.

The basic premise of 'The Boss Baby' is undeniably an appealing and relatable one: the anxiety, uncertainty and even fear that a child faces when he is no longer the only kid in the family, especially given the demands and concessions that a newborn places on his or her parents' time. Turning that into a vivid fantasy with the newborn becoming a literal 'boss' not just of the family but also of an entire baby-making operation that views puppies as their number one enemy sounds ingenious, but the execution through hijinks-driven slapstick gags ultimately reduces it to generic hyperactive fare that too many animated comedies these days are guilty of. And by that same measure, 'The Boss Baby' has little distinction from the average cartoon, despite being admittedly beautifully visualized, cheerfully executed and boasting the top-notch voice talent of Alec Baldwin. It may be about a baby all right, but that hardly excuses why it has to resort to the attention span of one.

Animated Science Fiction

[xoxo411 · 6/10 · 31 March 2017]

New concept with animation. Once again there is scientific corporation with a plot and there is a secret formula and highly upgraded child calming device with multi functions. We get to see lots of employees, supervisors and Board of Directors. Highly organized graphics, with sharp shapes and colors and objects of our everyday life and surrounding. Nerdy parents but cool kids. Somethings might become realistic in the future considering the direction of current preferences, culture and politics of the world. The story line has a manifesto which runs through out the movie and it is easy to follow since the movie is based upon a BOOK. Do not read the picture book first. A must see movie for kids and parents so they can share different views without obstructing. Verbally interacting and visually enterprising. Great entertainment for all ages. A new way of thinking that is certain to become the main line thought in the future. Not even for a moment I find this fiction a characterization of sibling rivalry.There is definitely a big competition between two things we all care about. Do you want to find out for yourselves what is it ?

My Peasant Life?

[dreygo-93509 · 3/10 · 18 October 2017]

Wake up little halflings, it's time to leave. Go and live your peasant lives. BEGONE WITH YOU!

These are the last words to a solidly mediocre movie starring Baldwin, Kimmel, Kudrow, Buscemi and Maguire called Boss Baby. Most of these actors I genuinely like and appreciate. I feel like Dreamworks though, took a dump in my mouth and hopes that I don't realize what I am eating. Do they just despise being forced to do such broad based comedy that they are mad at the "peasants"? I know, I know…I am reading too much into this line. But there is no way that there isn't meaning and intention behind this final cut scene. There are lots of ways to say goodbye in a movie. Some clever and some condescending. If you spend the money to put this specific scene in a spot where most will not see it, and those that do will likely not care, to what end is it done?

Maybe they know this thing is crap, but still wish to cling to the notion that they are not. My guess is that most of the big names involved in this adventure in potty humor are always publicly praising the "little guy" who they wouldn't dare call a peasant to their face. They seem to despise my family, and the rest of us that exist within this vast ocean of mediocrity. I realize that raising your head just a little higher than that ocean is extremely difficult. Unfortunately, this movie weighs like an anchor on the soul of everyone involved.

Most of the talent and executives will probably smile to themselves with self-satisfaction as hundreds of millions of dollars are almost guaranteed to roll in from the purse of these peasants. I now hate myself for being one of them. The moment I saw that cut scene, I regretted ever allowing my children the indulgence of such garbage. Take my money and spit in my face too…galling.

So, there's this baby. He's not like any baby, though. He's cute but not really. He talks but not really. He acts. . . and acts like a boss. That's wacky!

[asifahsankhan · 6/10 · 29 April 2017]

This film stitches together a crazily convoluted plot of kids' movie clichés like it's making a be-suited Frankenstein's monster.

Baldwin plays a slick, smarmy business baby that arrives unexpectedly at the Templeton family's home in a taxi and proceeds to channel the actor's Glengarry Glen Ross corporate trainer and 30 Rock executive in a near-constant stream of film and managerial references. Of course Janice and Ted Templeton (Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel) were expecting a new baby, but not like this. The other person not expecting this (at least not THAT way) is the Templeton's seven-year-old son, Tim (Miles Christopher Bakshi). Tim doesn't want a baby brother. He's happy being the sole object of his parents' affection. Rather than establishing the relationship between parent and child, this is discussed at length in confusing and unnecessary voice-over by Tobey Maguire as Future Tim.

In between a plethora of anus jokes (The Boss Baby has more on- screen butts than your average episode of Game of Thrones), the movie pitches you the ideas that babies are made in a factory in heaven, some for families and some for corporate use, and that there is an unending and vicious war between babies and puppies for the finite amount of love in the world.

For the most part, it's merely mediocre, trotting out all the overly familiar "Believe in yourself" and "importance of family" messages that every other CGI family flick must preach. However, there's something downright tragic about all the money, time and talent it took to make this instantly forgettable movie that's summed up entirely by a title. Everyone involved could have done something better, especially the animators, who toiled for hundreds of hours on something that will be met with a mild shrug.

The overall message is undeniable: Even if a BABY says he wants to be a BOSS, he really wants to be a BABY. Because he is a BABY.