By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
It is often difficult for a young child to accept or welcome the birth of a new sibling. Newborn babies obviously demand more attention that had been previously dedicated to only the older child or children and this usually proves to be a difficult adjustment. The Boss Baby, the new animated film by 20th Century Fox puts a wonderfully imaginative spin on this situation and does so with much heart and often hilarious humor. It is a movie that both children and adults can appreciate and enjoy.
Seven year-old Tim Templeton (Miles Christopher Bakishi) has always enjoyed the attention and love that parents can give an only child. Things change drastically, however, when his parents bring home a baby brother. Not only does this mean that Tim won’t get the full attention he once had from his parents (Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow), his baby brother seems to have an ulterior motive for his arrival. Tim soon realizes that his new brother is actually a businessman who goes by the name of “Boss Baby” (Alec Baldwin). Boss Baby actually works as a representative of Baby Co., the company responsible for making babies for families all over the world. Business has been suffering in recent years and the Boss has the task of researching the strategies of the opposition–puppies. Once Boss completes his mission, he may return to Baby Co. and this motivates Tim to assist his brother, sot that things return to the way they were before his arrival.
Written by Michael McCullers, based on the book by Marla Frazee, and directed by Tom McGrath (Madagascar, Megamind) The Boss Baby is an absolute joy to watch. With highly inventive world building, storytelling, and a delightfully witty sense of humor, the movie should please most audiences of all ages. The writers did rely on potty humor a tad much, but not so much that it gets frustrating and irritating. Most of the humor works well and had me chuckling often. The film offers children some important lessons about the value of love, selfishness, and how to open one’s heart to new siblings. Parents with children who are expecting a new addition should consider viewing this with them and discussing its messages afterward. Much like the awesome computer-generated animation in the movie, the characters are vibrant and colorful. The film’s excellent voice cast perfectly brings them to life.
Alec Baldwin is an absolute riot as the no-nonsense Boss Baby, a tough, fast-talking business man and expert negotiator. Steve Buscemi has the right hint of wickedness in his voice for Francis Francis, the conniving head of Puppy Co. who has a nefarious scheme for putting Baby Co. out of business. The warm, amiable voices of Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow are ideal for Tim’s fun and caring parents. The movie also features great voice work by Miles Christopher Bakshi, James McGrath, Conrad Vernon, ViviAnn Vee, and Eric Bell, Jr. Tobey Macguire also does an excellent job as the adult Tim Templeton who narrates this splendid movie.
Tom McGrath, the writers, and the excellent cast have made a wonderful film full of love, humor and joy. It is appropriate for children of all ages with enough winks and nods for the adults to enjoy. I rather enjoyed this animated family film and highly recommend it as a great way for families to spend an afternoon or evening together at the cinema.