I went into The Boss Baby with low expectations, and while what I got is definitely better than anticipated, the film is far from anything remarkable. The Boss Baby’s plot has nothing unique or innovative going for it, and is actually noticeably underwhelming for a feature-length film. Despite its multiple subtle/not-so-subtle crude jokes and adult humor, the story’s tone gives off the impression of a mediocre PBS-kids show. The characters, comedy, animation, and drama are decent about three-fourths of the time (with the other fourth bordering on obnoxious), yet once again, are nothing exceptional.
The Boss Baby is passable entertainment, yet the film offers nothing that hasn’t been previously done better. Last year’s animated film Storks offers a superior feature with better comedy, characters and themes about family and babies. The only reason I would recommend seeing The Boss Baby is if, for whatever reason, there’s absolutely nothing else better (such as Storks) available…and it’s a very rainy day. If so, then The Boss Baby will, at the very least, offer a mildly enjoyable, ninety-minute time waster.
The Lost City of Z:
The Lost City of Z experiences a number of stumbles throughout its runtime, yet continuously stops itself from falling flat with more desirably positive attributes. The film focuses on far too many distracting subplots that take away from the enticing main story. Yet such story—which focuses on British explorer Percy Fawcett’s (Charlie Hunnam) various journeys through the Amazon in search of an indigenous ancient city—is fascinating enough to overcome such sidetracking clutter: with its array of formidable dangers and novel approach towards the massive rain forest and its inhabitants.
Crucial scenes lack a sense of energy and power, showcasing them in a matter-of-fact, lackluster manner—yet scenes expected to be calm surprise with fierce personality and expression. The film’s last third drags on for far too long, yet I got to see Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) with a burly beard and mustache respectively…so it essentially evens out there. Despite its faults, The Lost City of Z prevails with its countering strengths, making the film an overall enjoyably grounded biopic.
