By TRENTON JUDD & NATALIE SACKET
Columnists
Trenton: 2 out of 5
It looks like Melissa McCarthy is up to her old comedy routine again, but isn’t it starting to get old?
“The Boss” is a comedy about Michelle Darnell, played by Melissa McCarthy, who is a wealthy, self-made business woman; unfortunately she loses her entire fortune and is put out on the streets. Darnell ends up staying with her assistant, played by Kristin Bell, and her daughter, played by Ella Anderson, until she can get back on her feet. However, a wronged person from Darnell’s past, played by Peter Dinklage, has his eyes set on revenge.
This type of McCarthy movie has been seen numerous times. The bulk of the humor relies on extreme physical injuries, foul language and anatomical references. This kind of humor gets real old real quick and it got old about four movies ago, which is a shame because this makes McCarthy look like a so-called one trick pony. However, if you’ve seen her acting in “Spy,” “Bridesmaids” and “Mike & Molly” then you know she can be hilarious.
The problem with this movie is the writing. The jokes are flat and overused, the characters are bland and two dimensional and the forced drama feels very out of place and incredibly awkward. There are a few over the top scenes, but I didn’t think they went far enough as in being more animated and cartoony; instead the scenes just stayed at this awkward level that felt out of place.
The best part of this movie was Peter Dinklage as the villain because he was over the top and animated in most of his scenes to a point where you can tell he is just having fun with the role he was given. McCarthy was animated, but it just felt bland because we have seen this routine time and time again to a point where it just becomes boring to watch. McCarthy was okay acting wise, but we’ve just seen it all before. There were a few tender moments in the movie, but they were completely lost because they are not addressed and this makes the movie’s story look unstructured and faulty.
Bottom Line: “The Boss” is an okay movie, so if you like McCarthy’s standard routine then you’ll like this movie. If you want to see a new comedy style from her, then this may not be the movie for you; although Dinklage’s performance is something to behold.
Natalie: 2 out of 5
Have you ever seen a comedy with Melissa McCarthy? Yes? Great! Well then, just substitute that film in place of “The Boss,” and essentially you get the same experience.
Don’t get me wrong; I think McCarthy is hysterical. But the act is getting a little old. It’s the same anatomical humor with a mix of profanity and crude humor. The same jokes, again, but this time, I wasn’t laughing quite as hard. The slapstick comedy is just too weak, and I struggled to pay attention throughout the film. McCarthy has such comedic talent; I just expected more from her.
The writing and directing for the film was just painful. Unfortunately, the director and head writer was McCarthy’s husband, so this will make for some uncomfortable conversation when they begin reading the reviews of “The Boss” and seeing the heat he’s getting for it.
The plot is predictable. McCarthy’s character is a tough, ballsy character who is just a bit down on her luck. It’s when she softens for the sentimental moments of the film that her character gets bland. Kristin Bell had a strong performance, but it wasn’t funny enough to match McCarthy or entertaining enough to carry the film. Perhaps my favorite part of the film was Peter Dinklange, who clearly was having a ton of fun in this role. He was probably just excited to get a break from the super-serious drama of “Game of Thrones.”
Bottom Line: If I had to sum “The Boss” up into one word, it would be “okay.” If you’re a diehard Melissa McCarthy film, this is definitely for you. If you’re tired of the whole shtick, however, you might want to pass on this one.