“Bridesmaids” was a great comedy and it’s surprising that filmmakers don’t try to replicate that winning formula more often. That’s what “Like a Boss” appears to be doing, with a buddy movie that tries to fire up similar laughs, while capturing the friendship angle that tries to make the movie more likeable.
It won’t be for everyone but if you know what you’re getting, it can be pretty funny.
Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne (a Bridesmaids alum herself), star as Mel and Mia, two lifelong friends that own a struggling cosmetics company. When make-up mogul, Claire Luna (Selma Hayek) discovers the business, she pins the two friends against each other to steal their ideas for her own company, Oviedo.
What works here is the banter between Haddish and Byrne, who can be really funny when they’re put in this kind of silliness fueled environment. The rest of the cast which also includes Billy Porter and Jennifer Coolidge also fits in nicely in their supporting roles and there are also just enough curveballs to keep the laughs coming along the movie’s predictable path.
The problem here is that we have seen this all before. You won’t need a roadmap to figure out where this is all going and Hayek’s villain does tend to come off a little too cartoony at times. While I’m the first to gripe when a film is too long, this picture comes in at only 83 minutes really pushing it’s bang for your buck.
Still, I liked “Like A Boss” and while it’s not even in the same room as “Bridesmaids” it’s still worth a look if you’re looking for that kind of comedy.
Like A Boss
Grade: B –
Running time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Rated: R