Alec Baldwin has attitude as an adult and now as a tiny baby. He’s the Boss in this film. He’s the voice of a very mature baby who is also a middle management executive for Baby Corp. His company is trying to find out how to steal love away from puppies so there’s more for cute babies. It’s marketing strategy, only he’s been sent down from wherever to get the scoop in person as the new bundle of joy in a family with a built-in big brother. His reward for getting such baby vs. puppy intelligence is what he longs for…a corner office at Baby Corp. and a golden potty!
Tom McGrath (Madagascar movies), directs this 3D animated romp based on a book by Marla Frazee. It’s not a great story line. People love babies and puppies and there’s enough to go around. There are some good visual perspectives when it comes to the action, but it kind of lags in the middle.
Baldwin’s Boss Baby wears a suit, tie and carries a briefcase as he infiltrates his new home giving orders to every kid on the block. But his older brother, Tim, voiced by Miles Christopher Bakshi, (Puss ’n’ Boots, Shrek movies), tells his parents, (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow), that he thinks his new brother looks“freaky.”
Baldwin says in animation you can do anything and the animators created some wild action on screen. He says they shot him reading the lines and then did what they do with the computer and have the characters do what I would do, or, he shouts laughing, “maybe do it better!”
There are plenty of hijinks. Boss Baby starts working on the other kids to get their input and influence them against loving puppies. But when the parents are around, he’s all “ga ga goo goo.”
Tim sees through it and they become mortal enemies. Boss Baby turns on the charm when Mom and Dad are around and turns on Tim when they look the other way. Baldwin calls him the worst nightmare of a baby. And when Tim finds out he can talk, he collects proof to try and show his parents. Boss Baby makes sure that won’t happen. The scene of mayhem in the yard watching the Boss Baby and the kids run wild chasing each other is well timed with good facial takes that made the kids in the screening giggle.The chase was fun and just long enough. You can see in 3-D or save money and not. It’s still funny.
There are clever pranks back and forth and finally Baby Boss says if Tim helps him with his mission to stop Puppy Co’s President, Francis Francis (Steve Buscemi) from inventing a new lovable puppy, he’ll get lost forever. Deal! You’d think Baldwin as Baby Boss was a high powered deal maker or something. Who would think that when the brothers both suck on pacifiers they could be transported to another dimension!
Dreamworks animation along with the comedic timing of the script work. Kids as well as adults can be entertained. There are some particularly cute scenes with Boss Baby being powdered as he’s being diapered, spitting out food, and more that all parents can relate to. And Boss Baby’s surprise when he’s dressed up as a dog and gets sniffed from behind drew laughs.
Kimmel says he’s not an actor and never did Voiceover for animation before. But he says “I could be the Dad. I AM a Dad. And Have a Dad.”
It works. Kimmel says Director McGrath gave him plenty of suggestions reading his lines. Kimmel admits he wanted to be a cartoonist growing up and was impressed with the animation for the film.
It’s basically Baldwin and the kid as a foil that make this film work. Slapstick works, especially with little ones. It’s a fun one for the family, with jokes for adults, too. Older siblings can relate, but soon-to-be parents, big brothers and sisters might be a little wary. Baldwin as Boss Baby is the star of the show. Who would dare not obey a baby in a suit with Alec’s attitude.
Dreamworks 1 hour 37 minutes. PG
