JASON BATEMAN & COMPANY RETURN FOR HORRIBLE BOSSES 2

2014 rating: ***

Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day as working wrecks Nick, Kurt and Dale were the GoBots to The Hangover’s Transformers, but now they’re basically channeling The Three Stooges. And instead of poking fingers into another person's eyeballs, the ever-flustered Nick constantly rolls his own since his buddies are ten times goofier and inept – even with a business idea that finally makes them their very own bosses.

But the American Dream ends quickly after being ripped off by corporate jerk Bert, played by Quentin Tarantino regular Christoph Waltz. Thus a kidnapping scheme is born involving Bert’s even jerkier son, Rex...

As an eventual fourth banana, Chris Pine – while pretty great as a serious Captain Kirk – seems downright awkward in a comedy film. The trio fare better on their own: the best scenes involving the two going back and forth while the one shakes his head, never quite grasping that he's in another (and another and another) fine mess. Meanwhile, the returning Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Spacey seem like special guest stars at a reunion special. 

While the first movie spent half the time explaining why and how the characters loathed their bosses, this breezier and funnier follow-up (a plot combining 9 TO 5 with RUTHLESS PEOPLE) is an instant platform for the bantering hijinkx. A good thing since these guys were always better than their revenge-driven concept.