The Boss Baby

It’s a historical moment. I’ve finally seen a film featuring talking babies that I actually liked! When I saw trailers for “The Boss Baby”, I was dreading its arrival. Now here I am actually having enjoyed it all the way through. If you are skeptical, I hope to sell you on this animated picture.

 Spoiler alert - click to reveal textWhat you haven't been told is that this story is told in flashback, that Tim Templeton (voiced by Tobey Maguire as an adult and Miles Christopher Bakshi as a child) is recalling the time he encountered the Boss Baby (voiced by Alec Baldwin) The unnaturally articulate and intelligent Baby has infiltrated Tim’s home in order to prevent Puppy Co. From launching their new product, a pooch so adorable it will kill the demand for children all around the world.

It is heavily implied throughout that what you see is not what actually happened, that this yarn is brought to life by an overactive imagination. Immediately, your fears are put to rest. Is the baby actually “holding meetings” or are its wails as it grabs onto its toy phone and has its parents crouch around, taking pictures and notes with unnatural enthusiasm, simply what Tim describes as a meeting? The film is self-aware and eases you into this ludicrous story. You can instead focus on what makes the film a success: the story, visuals, and voice acting.

Throughout, there are many delightful sequences where the animators get to show off, in the best way. As the visuals shift from 3D animation to more traditional-looking 2D, Tim brings to life his fantastical dress-up adventures. Then, once Baby and Tim figure out that the only way they’ll be able to get rid of each other is by teaming up, I found myself laughing consistently. There are several dumb and infantile poopy jokes I could’ve done without and a few too many (though well-placed) pop culture references, but for the most part, it works. Alec Baldwin is perfect as the voice of the Boss Baby and the 3D is put to good use. There are at least 3 scenes where, despite myself, I found myself trying to dodge something coming out of the screen.

“The Boss Baby” does not simply rely on the “aww” factor of seeing a baby in a tiny suit. The outlandish premise is explained in a satisfactory manner. It’s visually inventive, with a distinct identity on-screen and contains a good amount of laughs. Another pass through the wringer could’ve made the writing just a little sharper, something I’m willing to forgive considering how badly the advertisements made the picture look. It’s not only the low expectations I brought with me that allow me to give “The Boss Baby” a recommendation, there are delightful elements found throughout, including a scene at the very end of the credits worth sticking around for. (3D theatrical version on the big screen, March 30, 2017)