It seems that Hollywood keeps getting better and better at throwing parents a bone for taking their kids to see the latest kids movie. The Boss Baby is no exception. In fact, it seems that the entire movie was designed to be a wink to me as a parent.
Approximately 1/3 of the way through the movie, I began to wonder what decade this film was set in. The Boss Baby didn't have a cell phone and never made any allusions to the internet or social media. I started to look very closely at the the toys, technology and cars. It hit me like a ton of lawn jarts! This movie takes place in the 1970s! OMG this entire movie is written as an inside joke for my wife and I (and any other parents born in the 1970s).
Although I was already enjoying the movie before this epiphany... after I had it, I was absolutely loving it!
The jokes for parents did not stop with the Fisher Price phones or incredibly dangerous baby walkers (which we all had and miraculously survived... I even took a tumble down the stairs in mine). This movie was absolutely loaded with Easter Eggs for children of the 70s and 80s.
I had that toy! Look at how deadly that cord is!
Warning if you want to try and find all of the hidden gems for yourself, please skip past the next section. I will alert you when it is safe to return.
The Boss baby included references to:
- The Six Million Dollar Man
- Mary Poppins (With a little Mrs. Doubtfire sprinkled in)
- Moby Dick
- Indiana Jones
- Pinocchio
- Glengarry Glen Ross
- Elvis
- 30 Rock
- S.W.A.T.
- Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings references are absolutely brilliant. Without spoiling it too much, the older brother Tim's alarm clock is a Wizard. Actually he is The Wizard. I will leave it at that and allow your imagination to run with it.
Although the movie was incredibly fun, I found myself having just as much fun looking for the next inside joke. These writers knew what they were doing.
You can come back now. No more spoilers.
But what about the movie itself? Was it any good? Did my kids like it?
Yes and yes!
This was yet another movie that could have been a simple cash grab. There is a talking cartoon baby with the voice of Alec Baldwin. The writers could have just had him do mindless slapstick comedy and the kids would have loved it. But Michael McCullers and Marla Frazee actually took the time to write a coherent, intelligent, and entertaining movie... with a heart.
The animation is perfect. In fact at some points in the movie, the director, Tom McGrath, switches from the typical computer animated animation to a more old school hand drawn style. Both are incredibly visually appealing.
The voices are also very well cast and delivered. Unlike Sing whose casting confused me, The Boss Baby's is spot on. Alec Baldwin basically plays his character from 30 Rock trapped in a baby's body (and diaper). Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel do excellent jobs as the parents. Not only is the voice of 7-year old Tim very well done... he is an Easter Egg as well. Tim is voiced by Miles Bakshi who just so happens to be the grandson of animation legend Ralph Bakshi (who not only animated many classic cartoons but also directed the Lord of the Rings cartoon and Fritz the Cat). Yeah these producers did their homework. Steve Buscemi is perfect as just about any animated villain. This movie is no exception. Perhaps my favorite voice is Toby McGuire as adult Tim who narrates the movie. McGuire's voice creates a wonderful air of nostalgia every time he speaks.
This movie was clever. Although never expressly stated, this is a movie about the point of view of a 7 year old boy who has his perfect life ruined by a new baby. I don't know if all of the kids in the audience understood this, but everything takes place in that little boy's imagination. He exaggerates and embellishes... and it is delightful!
The Boss Baby is packed with very funny jokes and a fair amount of action. I was never bored for one second of the movie. Oh course the plot and action are absolutely ridiculous, but that is O.K. After all, none of it is supposed to be real (not even animated "real"). The entire movie is a figment of a 7 year old's imagination. If you can't suspend your disbelief for that premise, then this movie is not for you. But if you can, you will have a lot of fun.
Either suspend your disbelief... or stop having fun.
Both my 9 year old daughter and 12 year old son loved this movie. My daughter loved the characters, comedy and even a little drama. She actually cried at a couple of points in the movie. But this was O.K. The writers quickly ensured that some laughs would come to lighten the mood again. My son actually got into the fun of hunting for the Easter Eggs right along side of me. He found many of them on his own (actually far more than I would have guessed). At several points he asked, "Is that one dad?" To which I would quickly confirm his guess and name the reference. This added a whole other level of fun to the movie.
At its heart, The Boss Baby is about what an amazing gift a sibling truly is. At one point when my daughter was crying, my son tried to comfort her by patting her on her head.
He got the message.
But he still teased her a little bit on the way home.
Siblings.
Geeky Dad's Movie Guide
Number of times I fell asleep: 0
Number of eye rolls: 0
Number of face palms: 1 (But it was caused by a pretty funny scene about a pacifier.)
Number of times my kids asked to go to the bathroom or get food out of sheer boredom: 0
Number of times I checked steemit: 0
Number of times I said "That's ridiculous": 0 (Ummm it's a figment of the imagination of a 7 year old. I let it go.)
Did my kids like it: Yes!
Would I see it without my kids: Probably not. I really liked it and there were a ton of references for me... but seeing it with my kids made the movie for me.
Full price/Matinee/Rental/Free/Not worth the time: Full price