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“Hate is a strong word. It’s the right word, but still…”
The Boss Baby is an enjoyable and jubilant movie that will have both children and adults smiling throughout the whole movie. People are in for an adventure full of smiles, laughs, and cuteness. A lot of cuteness. By the end of it, people will leave the cinema knowing that the ticket was worth the buy and the movie was worth the watch.
Timothy Leslie (*snicker*) Templeton (voiced by Miles Christopher Bakshi) is a 7-year old boy who is thoroughly enjoying his life as a single child to his parents through his wildly imaginative fantasies. He receives all the love and affection from them; they are part of his daily fantasies, where they are either saved from trouble by Tim, or vice versa. They even have a specific ritual for his bedtime, which includes the parents reading him stories and singing his special song. Life is good.
Until a baby in a suit shows up outside their home in a taxi one day, and is introduced to him as his new brother. Life is not so good after that.
The poster tagline ‘Born Leader’ takes up a literal meaning in this movie as we see a wee little baby who essentially has the personality of a grown-up businessman…and the voice, too. The Boss Baby (voiced by Alec Baldwin) basically just does that: bosses around everyone. In this context, it is his family.
The plot revolves around how the two brothers try to overcome their differences and defeat the nemeses of Boss Baby: puppies! Yes, apparently Boss Baby has his own agenda, but let’s not spoil everything, shall we?
What I loved about the movie is how it is portrayed through the perspective of a single child who suddenly loses all the attention that he’s been receiving from his parents diverted towards his new baby brother. In psychology, Alfred Adler’s birth order theory suggests that the oldest sibling gets “dethroned by the second child”. This especially holds true in this movie, as we see it in the trailer itself how Boss Baby suddenly get more time to be looked after than Tim. It could be a major spoiler if I further explain it, so I guess the reader will understand this better once they watch the movie.
The visuals were vivid and rich in colour. The only other movie I’ve felt so happy just by seeing the colours was Trolls. The animation is unique; it had smooth texture effects, almost as if the surfaces were wiped with wax to shine and sparkle. And oh-my-god the crispness of each detail is commendable.
As for the characters themselves, Alec Baldwin does a pretty amazing job voicing The Boss Baby, giving him the perfect attitude of an egoistic know-it-all who gets jobs done his way whether you like it or not. Jimmy Kimmel (YES, it’s him!) voices the father while Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe in ‘Friends’) voices the mother. Both of them have done a considerably superb job, especially Lisa whose famous TV series character vibe could still be felt through this movie.
I like Tim’s character the most because I feel like everyone who has a younger sibling can relate to him and the phase he’s going through. Not only that; the fact that the world is a fantasy adventure to him is quite fascinating and, again, hats off to the portrayal.
The movie also has its cute aspects as well. I mean, come on, a movie focusing on a baby and no scenes that make you go “awwww!”? Impossible. For example, the scene shown in the trailer of the babies having a meeting of their own is one of many such scenes. Speaking of babies; the characters of the triplets, Jimbo, and Staci are SO. CUTE. It’s difficult not to be smiling whenever they’re on screen. The triplets strike me as a mashup of Totally Spies and Powerpuff Girls. Jimbo is the brawn of the baby group, while Staci cannot yet read or write. Viewers will love their company on screen.
There are a few easter eggs as well, in the form of allusions to other movies such as Lord of the Rings (watch out for the alarm clock for this particular reference) and Toy Story, to name a few. I, for one, noticed them straightaway and was smiling like an idiot.
Puppies are shown on the negative spectrum in this movie. Apparently, puppies are ‘manufactured’ to lure people’s attention towards them more than their own babies. Sounds familiar to the real world, doesn’t it? Today, there are more puppy videos and pictures than there are of babies. More focus is actually given to puppies. So it is quite convenient as the plot of the movie (but, but, but…puppies!).
The journey of the two boys coming together as one and accepting each other’s roles in the family is one that everyone with siblings will hopefully relate to. The movie definitely goes at lengths to entertain this particular point.
I think I’ve said enough about the movie already but yes, do go and watch it. The movie is rated PG so take your children along with you as well. The humour, songs, action, and the adventure overall will leave you satisfied. For the adults, they will start to look from a different perspective with regards to what babies think, but most importantly, what older siblings go through when they have – how should I say this – ‘competition’ in the form of their younger sibling. This is the stress-reliever movie for your busy and hectic week!
Geek Motivation rating: 5 – A great movie that leaves the viewer very satisfied!
Written by: RAY
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