Mark Kermode reviews The Boss Baby

[@seanwjf2120]

"Is that actually true?" 😂😂😂😂😂

[@karmadelivery4407]

This premise sounds like a family guy episode. I mean baby's worrying that that dogs are more loved than them. Hello....stewie and Brian anybody!?

[@nickparton5663]

"Is that actually true?" "...I DON'T THINK SO" Expert trolling, Simon.

[@garyr6097]

simons .. .is that actually true? question at the beginning....hilarious

[@anthonybreach2930]

mark needs at least two seconds to work out whether it is, and he's still unsure lmao

[@garyr6097]

Anthony Breach hehe

[@michellebiland5163]

More concerning than hilarious I think.

[@1080TJ]

This sounds like something that kids who see it now will turn into a meme once they're teenagers. Just like people my age did with Bee Movie.

[@timy9197]

I know this is a kids movie but "baby making land" still sounds dirty.

[@shadowdramon01]

I didn't care for this film, but I think the film is better when you think about the idea that the entire story is just a story the main character made up to deal with having a new baby brother and help his daughter deal with being a big sister.

[@TheRealSpiggyTopes]

I nearly fell down the same hole that Mark (and it seems like a lot of other critics) have fallen down, but then I figured out what I thought was going on and was very relieved by the final scene. That's the critical moment; when, spoilers, the daughter says "wait, did it really happen like that?", and then he says, "that's the way I remember it!" Almost none of the film is a faithful retelling of how it happened. The film is *entirely* made up of the older brother's imaginative rationalisation for how he came to love his younger brother instead of resenting him. You do get clues before then; the chase scene with the tape, for instance, when they cut to that one shot *from the parents' POV* of the older brother chasing the younger brother and it's clear they're just harmlessly pootling across the garden and everything else is happening in their imaginations. And in that context, the plot really doesn't matter. It plays like a child came up with it, but when you look at the movie and go "okay, this is not just from the kid's point of view, it's from the POV of his imagination", that's actually a compliment. It beautifully depicts both the way a lot of kids' imaginations work, and also how they start telling stories; by cribbing wildly from their existing cultural references. "So then there's a chase after the car like Woody and Buzz in Toy Story, but there's a baddie disguised as Mary Poppins, and like a James Bond henchman he keeps popping up and popping up no matter how many times we get away from him. And it's a chase to go to Las Vegas!" "Yeah! With loads of Elvis impersonators, like Mum listens to all the time!" On those terms, it's also great at depicting the tension in a family when a new baby arrives (not a new story, but has anyone tried to tell it this way before?) I watched it with a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old and they got exactly what was going on; they loved the rollicking adventure while retaining absolutely none of the details, and there were also moments on the walk home when they were "hey, remember when you used to do that?" I'm amazed that so many critics are getting hung up on the mechanical details of the plot; this is the very rare instance of a film where "the plot isn't supposed to make any sense!" is a valid response to the complaint "the plot doesn't make any sense!"

[@Oscarandfriendsforever]

TheRealSpiggyTopes Yep. I would have expected someone as seasoned as Kermode to have figured it out. Most of what we saw was a figment of the kids imagination.... it wasn't a documentary!!

[@RATTmedia]

Completely agreed with the lack of any sort of internal logic behind the premise, I just couldn't buy into it at all. Having said that, as soon as I suspended my disbelief, I was able to simply enjoy the performances (Baldwin killed it) and appreciated the surprisingly heartwarming characters. DreamWorks definitely have made worse movies before, but this is not one of them.

[@username1234567865]

I'll watch it when somebody cuts every scene with a baby character in it and uploads it to youtube at 6 minutes long

[@taliaprice1909]

It's funny because for some people puppies are more loved than babies, more loved than people in general

[@theresechristiansen9769]

True. My own mother for instance *always* blabbed about her annoying dogs :) but ignored her grandchild! Still, the kid talked back and the dogs didn't.

[@retrorevival1]

they just haven't met the right kitten yet. it's okay, they'll learn.

[@ejkk9513]

Talia Price I feel that way but with cats.. my cat has shown me more love than most people have.

[@davidsteel8324]

"Is that actually true?" 😂 I liked the film a lot!

[@merrytrek]

Watched this today in a packed cinema and I can't remember ever being in a cinema with more consistent vocal laugh out loud reactions from both children and adults. I think that the the puppy plot isn't they key plot here (and to me seemed less central than delivering the baby did in Storks), the developing relationship between the two children is, so I wasn't bothered by flaws with Puppy co/Baby corp plot. I _enjoyed_ this a lot more than Inside Out which I think was overrated and was too much pitched to adults and not its target audience. I have never see 30 Rock, so I'm not sure what seeing that would have added. Boss Baby is fun!

[@MatthewLedZepfan]

Mark and mayo need to do a sitcom together

[@believerjohnseventeen720]

Babies not as loved as babies and dogs? As administrators and babies, I thought they just had babies. I like your review channel.

[@believerjohnseventeen720]

The plot is out there.

[@BluRayMan12]

I saw this last weekend. It's not particularly good... but it's better then a film with this concept probably should be.

[@andyg9835]

'The Boss Baby' is completely silly, both in plot and style, which is exactly what it's trying to be. It's perfectly harmless fun that doesn't ask to be closely analysed, so there's no point trying. It probably won't live long in the memory, but in my opinion, it has just about the right amount of bottom or fart jokes. 3/5

[@specialsnowfake6744]

Looks like the movie equivalent of a sugar high

[@badgastein2]

Baffled by people who cannot understand this film......it’s simply a new baby taking the parents attention and the older sibling feeling left out....and the opening scenes are the older kids imagination....fantastic in 3d if.you have a 3d projector and if you don’t you are missing out as the film was made for 3d. 9/10.

[@MrRjhyt]

Same problem with 'Turbo', isn't it?

[@mpstab6276]

I agree, I did laugh a good few times but still felt overall it was just a bit weird.

[@AJ-kj1go]

but On Cinema gave it 5 bags! so conflicted

[@pamelaatkinsonscats2873]

I really enjoyed the film and laughed all the way through. I thought a lot of the humour was directed at adults and the sly references to Donald Trump were hilarious, especially as Alec Baldwin had imitated him so brilliantly on SNL. The story may not have made logical sense, but I didn't mind that and was even quite moved at the end. Great soundtrack, too.

[@lindazhang7857]

seen BOSS BABY - BABY KILLS BABYSITTER?!

[@NikLikesThings]

Is just a Dad trying to ease his daughter into having a new sibling, in an over the top way, just like most stories you would tell kids. The problem is the film is just simply quite dull and not very funny. There's certainly likeable elements, but overall just so meh and forgettable.

[@tweetybirdy4170]

it doesn't need to be logical, just a cute & fun animation to watch! on top, boss baby is very cute indeed.

[@marcusdidius4090]

Dear akk, Canny channel:) And first comment lol Regards,

[@iolo26]

this film seems to play to so many bad gender stereotypes