Comedy twists delight into blight

It sounded like a good idea – making a movie about “Horrible Bosses.” You know, the skinflint, nasty slave drivers some unfortunate people have to work for at the office or factory, cruel and overly strict employers who make life a living hell for their poor minions.

A film like that would be patronized by many viewers, because it would give them a much-needed opportunity to laugh their troubles away and get sweet revenge and catharsis, if only for a day.

So, what happened? After watching “Horrible Bosses,” neither a fun time nor catharsis is sufficiently attained and the movie seems to be focused more on the “horrible” part of its title than anything else!

Sour and surly

Instead of feeling deliciously vindicated and “solved,” the viewer is left with a sour and surly feeling, the kind of peevishness and irritability that comes when you know you’ve been taken on a bum trip.

Perhaps the problem is the fact that the flick tried to have its cake and eat it, too: “Horrible Bosses” isn’t just about sweet vengeance at the workplace, it’s also bent on satisfying the audience for “gross” comedy.

So, there are loads of lewd references to body parts and functions, and the “f” word is uttered in profusion. Now, that’s fine if you go for that sort of smelly and scurrilous thing – but, if you’re looking for a really good laugh without the crass and cynical snorts and farts, it’s a humongous deal-breaker – and that isn’t funny.

To be sure, the film does lead off with an interesting trio of office “victims” who look so visually mismatched that it’s surprisingly hilarious. And Kevin Spacey does play one of the cruddy bosses “horribly” well, obviously enjoying the opportunity for him to be mean as heck – and as hell.

But, it’s the actors who play the other two lousy bosses who sour up the film’s fun factor, and turn delight into blight. The offending and offensive female boss’ act is too unrelievedly nymphomaniacal, and mistakes hysteria for humor. To cap the unrelieved assault on viewers’ sensibilities, she has the mouth of a truckdriver and the comedic flair of a sledgehammer.

Humor quotient

As for the third boss, he’s played by another nontalent who adds little to the movie’s humor quotient. Yes, Spacey’s slurpily sadistic performance is choice, but one out of three is still a sad quotient of diminishing and diminished comedic returns, so the flick gets a failing grade of F for (farting sound).

The film’s inability to fulfill its promise is a pity, because the boss-employee situation, which many viewers can relate to, is fraught with tension, stress—and possibilities for “vindicative” humor.

That’s why, when the plot development of “Horrible Bosses” takes its most crucial turn and the victims decide to kill their cruel employees, viewers perk up in anticipation of “black-comedy” capers and laughs to come.

But, what we get instead are less than clever schemes and more gross “humor,” we switch off – permanently.