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Johannesburg - If you’ve ever struggled with the idea of getting a new sibling, then this movie will be an enjoyable experience for you.
In it, a young boy called Tim is the absolute apple of his parents’ eyes, which all changes with the arrival of a new sibling. But this is no ordinary infant brother. He’s actually from Baby Corp, an organisation run by babies who never age and behave like adults. This baby boss, Theodore Templeton, voiced by Alec Baldwin, is a manager from Baby Corp who’s been sent down to earth for a secret mission. Dog Corp, the company where dogs come from, has been beating Baby Corp in the cute department. Dogs are becoming the world’s most loved things – a problem for the babies at Baby Corp.
Tim hates the attention the new baby is getting, and one night overheard Theodore on the phone discussing his mission in a fully grown man’s voice. Tim tries everything he can to expose Theodore, but fails. He is left with one option if he wants to be left alone and get all his parents’ attention back: work with the boss baby and help him complete his mission so that he can return to Baby Corp and get a promotion.
This seems rather light-hearted, doesn’t it? But at times these cheery-looking cartoons get dark. For instance, when Tim imagines himself in ninja mode – the drawings become very creepy and sinister. I’m a grown-ass man and even I was slightly shaken – I hope the kiddies will be able to manage.
The gang of babies that Baldwin’s character gathers to aid him are also quite interesting, in particular the baby who’s “the muscle” of the group. He alone can’t speak as well as the other babies but runs fast and is very buff ... strange. The babies of Baby Corp drink a liquid that keeps them from ageing .. again, very twisted in parts.
Spoiler alert – the plot is predictable; the two main characters start off at loggerheads and then make up, all with a warm and cuddly moral at the end of the tale.
The film’s strength is Baldwin, who kills it in this movie and his comedic timing clearly shines through.
The quality of the animation in this movie is good enough but will by no means make DreamWorks look back and think it was an absolute burner.
Some of the themes are very grown-up in nature, but hidden, using subtle nuances that only parents and older kids will pick up. Don’t be surprised if your baby girl asks you what Tim whispers to Theodore in reference to where his parents told him babies actually come from.
I kid you not, at the time this was written, The Boss Baby was the highest-grossing movie in the States, beating the live action version of Beauty and the Beast. I’ve already spoken to Emma Watson and she said she’ll be okay
