The
Boss: Unrated
(2016/Universal Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B/B- Sound: B/B- Extras: B- Film: C
It
seems like every couple of months we are getting a big budget Melissa
McCarthy vehicle, her most recent being the mediocre reboot of the
Ghostbusters
franchise for Sony Pictures. I have to admit, when I first saw the
advertising for this film, Ben Falcone's 2016 comedy The
Boss,
I was pretty unimpressed and now having seen it. I'm not much more
impressed than I was before. Not as bad as McCarthy's Tammy
(which I reviewed elsewhere on this site), The
Boss
has a great supporting cast including Kristen Bell, Kathy Bates,
newcomer Ella Anderson, and a hilarious role by Peter Dinklage (Game
of Thrones)
that kind of gives you that feeling of seeing a good friend at a bad
party.
One
of the wealthiest women in the world, successful motivational speaker
and CEO Michelle Darnell (McCarthy) is on top of the world. When she
screws over a past lover (Dinklage) and treats many others with
disrespect, she soon finds that her inside trading secrets quickly
come to light. Before she knows it, all of her wealth disappears,
seeing Darnell being bars for six months and those working for her
left unemployed. Once freed from jail, Darnell ends up tracking down
her former assistant Claire (Bell) and her young daughter (Anderson)
who both help her get off the streets and back on her feet. Darnell
soon finds herself at a Girl Scout meeting while babysitting Claire's
daughter (and discovering Claire's unique homemade brownie recipe),
where she puts two and two together and comes up with a business
strategy to help the Girl Scouts break records. Things don't go too
smoothly as Darnell constantly battles her own ego and figures of her
past against a City full of those who despise her.
While
the film has some funny moments (and a sword fight) and isn't all for
not, it follows many thematic movie cliches that we have grown to
become accustomed to. Also distracting, and I don't know if it's a
character choice or not, is McCarthy's neck. Constantly hidden
throughout the entire film with outrageous costumes. It suits her
character, a Martha Stewart-esque Scrooge, but quickly becomes
distracting once you notice it. Did she get some failed plastic
surgery work done? One can only speculate.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and
a lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 track that looks and sounds
fantastic throughout. With little left to be desired in terms of
presentation, especially for a film of this nature, there isn't much
to complain about here in high def. Also included is a standard DVD
version of the film with an anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio of
1.85:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track that looks and sounds fine
for the format. Also included is a UltraViolet copy of the film.
There
are two versions of the film in this release, the Unrated version
which is six minutes longer and the original Theatrical version, but
they are equally problematic.
Special
Features include...
Michelle
Darnell - Original Sketch
Origin
Story
Peter
Dinklage Gets to the Point
Everybody
Loves Kristen Bell
Alternate
Ending
Deleted
Scenes
Extended/Alternate
Scenes
Gag
Reel
If
you like rags to riches comedies or are a fan of Melissa McCarthy,
then you may enjoy The
Boss.
I found it funny at times but ultimately forgettable and felt way
longer than it was.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
