This review, is on a comedy movie named “Horrible Bosses” (2011). Rated (R) with good reason, due to crude language, sexual elements, and adult themes centered on irresponsibility, the movie presents elements that every parent should be equipped to teach his or her child about. It most certainly is a comedy (black humor, though not blackest), and the first 1/3 of the movie in particular, I found to be most comedic.

To begin with, the movie is predicated on upper management “***-holes”. This is suitable for the adult comprehension, and for anyone who has had a boss they found to be unscrupulous. The story is centered on “mind ****-ing” that the upper managers use, in order to exploit workers and the lower tiers of management or workforce within the business hierarchy.

Oppression, posed as wielded by man or woman alike (meaning that both men and women in positions of power can and often do take advantage of workers with the power they have), is the fuel for the thread of justice that allows the heroes in the film’s story-line to ultimately prevail.

Jennifer Aniston’s performance as the bad behaving boss, is entertaining… most notably in the first 1/3 of the movie, and it helps to set the stage for one of the oppressed men to seek justice against her. In this movie, there are 3 bad bosses; and 3 victims who band together for revenge against their bosses in a very messy and long drawn out way.

With jabs at the concepts of a sexist corporate America, the writing is complete with sexual innuendo; More so, overt references and visible characteristics of the clichés about wealthy executives/bosses are made and maintained.

Moments punctuate the plot, with fitting soundtrack and action scenes (at least in a fantasy sort of way), and the quest for justice is carried along.

The themes that stay consistent, are the tendencies of management to undervalue employees, to lie, to participate in unjust hiring/firing practices, to use bad letters of recommendation as a tool of leverage or for blackmailing employees, highlighting the antiquated system of the workplace overvaluation of the resume (which can be falsified anyway) in which former managers can trash an employee’s reputation to obstruct the employee’s future employment; and with elements common in employment (such as jealousy, competition, nepotism, and incompetence), anyone who has wanted to get back at their manager, will enjoy this movie.

The consequences of sexual harassment and false witness/slander in this film, culminate in the employees’ banding together to not only seek justice in a comical and vigilante sort of way… but, the employees manage to exact justice in this modern day version of the older American film entitled “9-5” (1980), (starring Dolly Parton among other).

While the film “Horrible Bosses” itself is not appropriate for young children, the themes are such that parents can teach their kids about workplace dangers and workplace rights (long before they ever take their first job). While “9-5” is a (PG) film and “Horrible Bosses” an (R) rated film, both films can be paired as good material for adults and family teaching. Both films are recommended to families with teen-aged kids. Adults should not be deterred in this case, by the respective (PG) and (R) ratings.

Stay tuned for my next movie review!