Look, I'll take any flimsy excuse to sit around with Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, and Charlie Day, because just in casual conversation, these guys are all wicked funny.
I may not have been crazy about “Horrible Bosses 2,” but I wouldn't lay any of that blame on the three actors. This is a textbook example of a sequel where the creative team lays the entire burden off on the actors. Their job here isn't merely to play the scenes from the script, but to bring it to life somehow, to make it work simply by virtue of the strong natural comic chemistry the three of them share.
By now, I've noticed that Charlie Day seems to be a very divisive screen presence. I think Day is very funny, with a way of attacking a joke that is uniquely his. Of the three guys, his character is the one that comes closest to actually being fleshed out enough to be considered an actual character.
Both Sudeikis and Bateman are given less to do, and their characters might as well be named “Jason Sudeikis” and “Jason Bateman.” They are often funny in the sequel, but again… the writing does them no favors. Instead of being characters who we can become attached to, they are written as types, shallow enough that the filmmakers can bend them to fit any joke.
It's disappointing precisely because these guys are so enjoyable, even in a short interview. When I asked them who the absolute essential core team is on these films, and who would have to be involved for them to do this a third time, it was pretty clear that when it comes to “Horrible Bosses,” these three guys really shouldn't have to answer to anyone.
“Horrible Bosses 2” is in theaters tomorrow.