Back in 2017, The Boss Baby landed on screens and shocked everyone by making half a billion dollars across the globe when all was said and done. Now, animated, or live-action, it doesn’t matter… you make that kind of bank and you’re getting a sequel. The problem with The Boss Baby is how exactly would that work? The formula they came up with (pun intended) actually passes the muster.
The thing is, The Boss Baby: Family Business never tries to appeal to anyone but children. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’ve gotten spoiled lately with animated features working as both beloved entertainment for kids and something overly enjoyable for adults.
Whether it Luca or The Mitchells Versus The Machines, these animated films are equally adored by the young and old(er). The latter even won Best Screenplay at the midyear awards put on by the Hollywood Critics Association.
We’ve become accustomed to an animated film hitting notes that all can enjoy. It’s not that The Boss Baby: Family Business is not fun for adults. There is just little there for us parents to cling to—except on a few occasions. The first film was firmly for kiddos, and clearly, the mission remained the same for the follow-up.
The Templeton brothers, Tim (James Marsden, Sonic the Hedgehog) and his Boss Baby little brother Ted (Alec Baldwin) joined forces in the first film to save the day. This time out, they’re fully grown up and have fully grown apart. Tim’s own baby, Tina (Amy Sedaris), turns out to be an agent of Baby Corp.—which is a shock to her father. But there’s a threat in the form of Dr. Armstrong’s (Jeff Goldblum) Acorn Center for Advanced Childhood.
Tim’s second-grader goes there and is exceedingly bright and is at the top of her class. The problem is, Dr. Armstrong is up to something nefarious and it’s going to require the Templeton brothers to reunite and infiltrate the school.
Lucky for them that Baby Corp. came up with a way to regress and brought together under a false guise, Ted and Tim become baby and slightly older brother.
The draw here is the same as it was for the first film and that is Baldwin. His cocky, supremely intelligent and business savvy Ted is hilarious to see coming out of an animated baby. Let’s be real. That’s what made the first film a blockbuster and will likely have the sequel finding similar (but not quite as profitable) success. The Boss Baby: Family Business is arriving in theaters, but it also is debuting on Peacock, the streaming service from NBC/Universal.
Whereas the first film had Baldwin to thank for its success, the sequel adds a character in Dr. Armstrong that is a blast. It is firmly a Goldblum-created soul and witnessing Baldwin and Goldblum go at it is one of those enjoyable aspects for both kids and adults. But practically everything else is geared towards the younger audience members out there and some of it might even be a bit eye-rolling for adults. Again, that’s fine. Kids need films to call their own and Boss Baby has certainly been theirs since 2017.
There’s no need to detail the drawbacks, such as the father-daughter falling out that pains Tim that feels anything but organic. It’ll feel like a guy at a kid’s party with a needle popping everyone’s balloons. Let’s just say there are some underdeveloped characters, such as Tim’s wife Carol (Eva Longoria).
But there is also a find with Sedaris going toe-to-toe with Baldwin in the bodacious baby department. She is a terrific piece of casting. Director Tom McGrath nailed it with that aspect, he’s got a stellar cast. After his success with the first one, he returns to the director’s chair. Continuity with these films is actually a good thing.
What appealed to kids so much so that $500 million was shelled out by parents in 2017 is right there in 2021 with the follow-up. As a parent, often we are called upon to go the extra mile for our kids.
There are sacrifices parents do for their children all the time. Sitting through The Boss Baby: Family Business is occasionally funny and always charming. But trust me, those little ones… are going to love it.
Kids Grade: B+
Adults Grade: C