THE BOSS BABY
US, 2017, 97 minutes, Colour stop
Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Miles Christopher Bakshi, James Mc Grath.
Directed by Tom Mc Grath.
For once, a trailer was quite misleading. It emphasised the baby wearing a suit and having a briefcase, ingratiating itself with its parents while spurning the older brother.
The scenes occur rather early in the film and, in fact, the two brothers work together and get on rather well together, more than might have been anticipated.
The film is based on the children’s book by an author and illustrator, Marla Frazee, The Boss Baby, published in 2010. Readers of the Book would know well what to expect. Those of us who have not read the book will be kept in suspense – well not exactly in suspense but in surprised anticipation.
This is a brightly animated film, fully rounded characters, bright colours, lively locations, with more than a touch of fantasy.
The story is told from the adult point of view of the Templeton baby and then seven-year-old, Tim (older Tim voiced by Tobey Maguire, younger Tim by Miles Christopher Bakshi). He is absolutely devoted to his absolutely devoted parents (Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow), who read him stories, give him hugs, sing him his favourite song – while he has all kinds of imaginative adventures and is forever rescuing his parents.
One night at hugs, stories and song time, we notice that mother is pregnant and he doesn’t – and when asked whether he would like a little brother his offhand reply sounds like a definite no.
So, if all this is happening in Tim’s head and being recounted by his older self, then we can indulge his fantasy of where babies come from and how to deal with a brother – as did the film, Storks, in 2016. This time it is an assembly line at Babycorps, somewhere up above a, with the song playing is I’m in Heaven! Most of the babies come properly down the assembly line, all races represented, then successfully tickled and registered for allotment to family. But, sometimes, there is the odd baby out and this happens to the Boss Baby, his head in the opposite direction, not responding to the feather tickle and designated for Management. Off he goes, in a suit and tie, with his own briefcase, to an enormous office where all the management babies are sitting at their desks.
When he arrives at the Templeton house, he does all the goo-goo things, but is fairly self-centred, making his parents run ragged looking after him and alienating Tim. When Tim overhears him talking (with the boys of Alec Baldwin) on the phone to the office, and discovers his cohorts outside, it looks as if there is going to be huge conflict. Not at all.
The two babies suck on their dummies which enables Boss Baby to help Tim see the background of Babycorps, the portrait of the founder on the wall, the pie chart which indicates how much Love is available – for babies and for puppies. It looks as though the puppies are winning out so something has to be done! A bit difficult because both parents work for a pet business.
Between the jigs and the reels, the two babies decide that they must work together – even going to a Puppycorps show in Las Vegas where they discover some truths that are unexpected about the founder (Steve Buscemi), where they see that the pie chart is indicating more love for puppies than babies, where Boss Baby is in danger of becoming a real baby and has to be shaken back to his real self. Because Tim had imagined all kinds of adventures, it is not a far stretch for him and Boss Baby to confront the villain, aided by his associate Elvis impersonator, rescue the parents, revert the process for too much literal Puppy Love, and Boss Baby to receive the acclaim of everybody at Babycorps
And he has the chance to go on to the assembly line again and be tickled because Tim has found that Baby has a ticklish foot be assigned to family. So, all is well and Tim is well able to cope with the baby brother.
There is an amusing epilogue where Tim and Ed, the grown-up Boss Baby, talking with Tim’s daughter when there is a doorbell ring – and the little sister is arriving, another boss Boss Baby!
1. The audience for this film? Children? Adults? The story, the comic style, animation?
2. The bright animation, characters, locations, fantasies and adventures, Babycorps, the Las Vegas fair?
3. The importance of the voices? The musical score?
4. The adaptation of a novel, the author as a writer, illustrator? Tim’s story?
5. The older Tim narrating, the action happening in reality or in Tim’s mind and imagination? His telling stories, derring-do adventures, his always winning, coping, rescuing his parents? His saying no to wanting another brother?
6. Tim, the Templetons, the loving parents, working at the pet factory, involved in Tim’s stories, telling him stories, hugs, songs? The imagination of the adventures, Tim rescuing his parents?
7. His mother pregnant, his saying he didn’t want a brother? The reaction of the parents?
8. The fantasy of Babycorps, playing with ideas of birth, presenting these fantasies for children, adults? Pretending? Or from Tim’s point of view?
9. The assembly line in Babycorps, the different babies, different races, going down the line, the regularity of the babies, being tickled, designated for family? The background of I’m in Heaven?
10. The odd baby out, facing the wrong way, not responding to the tickle, designated for management? Suit, a briefcase – and the rows and rows of baby managers? Missions? The pie chart and the percentages of love available? Babies versus puppies? The rival company, Puppycorps?
11. The boss baby, arriving, the parents welcome him, introducing him to Tim? His suit, briefcase, Tim’s reaction? The spoiled baby, self-centred, every whim, demanding on his parents, their running backwards and forwards, exhausted? His pretence? Tim hearing him on the phone, the confrontation, the threats?
12. Boss Baby and the other members of his team, the three in unison, the fat boy and the biscuits? The clash with Tim?
13. Boss Baby deciding to explain, the percentages of love available, sucking on their dummies, sharing the stories, made visual? The portrait hall, the former boss, his reputation, Boss Baby aspiring to this? The contrast with the harridan in charge? The decision for the two to work together – and Boss Baby finding his tickle point, his feet?
Going to Las Vegas, the parents and all the hoopla? Truth about Francis Francis, his being ousted, his wanting his revenge? His Elvis impersonator assistant?
14. The fights, the confrontations, tactics, tipping out all the puppies, drinking the formula, the parents locked in the box? Boss Baby and his reverting to being a baby? The defeat of Francis, winning, rescuing the parents?
15. Boss Baby and acclaim all round at Babycorps?
16. Boss Baby on the assembly line again and designated as family? Arriving at home, Tim welcoming him?
17. The humorous comment at the end, the two uncles, Tim’s daughter, the prospect of a baby sister – and the Boss Baby sister arriving at the door?
