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If you have kids or younger siblings, you know that as soon as a baby shows up in the house, you lose all control of your life. Suddenly, everything revolves around the baby’s needs. But the new baby in The Boss Baby isn’t just needy; he’s controlling and calculating—and he’s on a very serious mission.
The Boss Baby tells the story of poor Tim Templeton (voiced by Miles Christopher Bakshi), a seven-year-old boy who had the perfect life until his parents brought home his new baby brother (Alec Baldwin). This suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying little tyrant shows up and ruins everything. But Tim soon discovers that his baby brother is actually an ambitious manager from Baby Corp, and he’s been sent undercover to save all of babykind from a devious plot. Eager to get rid of the baby and get his parents’ love and attention back, Tim agrees to help with the mission.
Adapted from the book by Marla Frazee, The Boss Baby offers an imaginative take on life with a new baby—from an older sibling’s perspective. The idea is certainly a clever one, and Alec Baldwin couldn’t be much better as the voice of the no-nonsense, all-business little brother who’s driven to rise above his job in middle management. In fact, just hearing him voice the baby will keep parents chuckling.
Of course, taking a picture book and stretching it into a 97-minute movie is no small feat. And, as a result, the story isn’t especially solid. While the characters’ twisted sibling rivalry can be entertaining—and their final mission has plenty of action—it’s clear that there’s a lot of extra fluff. Some parts of the film feel long and drawn-out, while other parts are just plain odd. And the humor is a mix of business-related jokes for the parents and gags that revolve around various bodily functions for the kids.
Some of the best moments in the film, meanwhile, take place in Tim’s imagination—as he sails the seven seas as a swashbuckling pirate or rescues his parents from certain doom. These scenes are vibrant and stylized and loaded with action and adventure—and they bring some much-needed touches of whimsy and charm to a film that can sometimes feel more grown-up than necessary.
The Boss Baby isn’t an award-worthy animated film—and it sometimes seems to focus more on amusing parents than it does on entertaining kids. But if you’re looking for a way to distract a couple of squabbling young siblings on a Saturday afternoon, it’s sure to do the trick. It may even make them try to like each other for a couple of minutes (but don’t get your hopes up).
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
