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“The Boss” Reviews: Melissa McCarthy can’t save this clunker

Posted in: General, Must-Read Reviews  |  By: John Hanlon  |  April 8th, 2016
The Boss Reviews

This weekend, site Melissa McCarthy’s newest comedy The Boss opens in theaters nationwide. The Oscar-nominated actress stars as a successful businesswoman who is forced to start over after she’s convicted of insider trading and loses her company to a vengeful rival. This film marks the second time that McCarthy has starred in a film that was directed by her real-life husband Ben Falcone (who has a brief cameo in the movie). Thus far, site The Boss reviews have not been kind.

As of  this writing, the film is rotten on RottenTomatoes with an approval rating of 18%. That score will likely change over the weekend as more reviews start tricking in.

In the meantime though, check out a few of the must-read The Boss reviews below (and make sure you check out our own review here).

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: “I’m such a fan of so many of the principals in this movie, starting with McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, who co-wrote and directed, but this was a dreadful viewing experience, from the awkward and unconvincing setup to the desperate performances to the depressingly unfunny slapstick scenes to the conflicts and resolutions you can see a mile away.” Check out the full review here.

Nell Minow, Beliefnet.com: “[I]n other films, including “Identity Thief,” “Tammy,” and now “The Boss,” McCarthy makes the fundamental mistake of committing to an obnoxious character given to outrageous and inappropriate behavior and then insisting that by the end of the movie the other characters and we in the audience have to love her.”Check out the full review here.

Manohla Dargis, NYTimes.com: “The movie is funny without being much good; mostly, it’s another rung on Ms. McCarthy’s big ladder up.” Check out the full review here.

Justin Chang, Variety.com: “Everything here — even the stray bits that come close to working — feels similarly arbitrary and unmotivated.”Check out the full review here.

Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com: “It’s passively bad. It switches gears to no discernible purpose and has things happen that don’t constitute “events” in any meaningful sense, and throughout its last hour it keeps jumping into your lap and demanding love without doing anything to earn it.” Check out the full review here.

Pete Hammond, Deadline.com: “[T]his is McCarthy’s showcase from first frame to last, and she delivers for her fans on all counts. She is the boss.” Check out the full review here.

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: “The movie likely to unseat “Batman v. Superman” at the box office this weekend turns out to be every bit as grating and joyless as the one with the capes.” Check out the full review here.

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: “Although her charisma is still undeniable, there’s also no denying that McCarthy is capable of much more than she’s allowing herself to do here.” Check out the full review here.

Molly Eichel, Philadelphia Enquirer: “McCarthy incorporates so many shades and layers into a character who should be irritating, propping up a flimsy movie that will most likely be a footnote in her brilliant career.”  Check out the full review here.

Tom Russo, BostonGlobe.com: “The loosey-goosey fun might be a bit much at the finish, but it’s still a laugh watching McCarthy try to get back on her feet.” Check out the full review here.

If you want to read our perspective on the film, click here for our review.

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