Office Christmas Party [2016] is the festive star-studded comedy that features the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Munn, Jason Bateman and Kate McKinnon. When the CEO of a large internet company attempts to close down her brother’s portion of the family business, he and his co-workers decide they must host a grandiose party in order to save his branch and win over the heart of a potential partner. As the night wears on it becomes apparent to the employees that there is more on the line than their Christmas bonuses.
Office Politics. There is something charming about the relationships between the co-workers in this film. I had some genuine laugh out loud moments regarding the relatability of some of the character’s archetypes. My favorites being the uptight head of HR, played by the hilarious Kate McKinnon and the personal assistant to the boss, who knows everything about everyone – played by another SNL legend, Vanessa Bayer. Passive aggressive digs and witty remarks under breaths are accurate depictions of what it is really like to work in an office environment and are the saving grace of this film. A lot of misses but a few very funny one liners!
Wait.... Is this Horrible Bosses? I had to take a moment whilst watching to check whether I hadn’t accidentally gone to see Horrible Bosses 3 (doesn’t actually exist). I actually checked my ticket. Jennifer Aniston playing another painful boss lady - puhlease! Not only that but Aniston’s lead co-star Jason Bateman is an unhappy employee. Sounding familiar? The similarities are obvious and at times grating. I couldn’t help but feel ‘been there done that’.
Big Budget = Silly Gags. It seems that there is a direct correlation between big budgets and unfunny gags. Office Christmas Party seems to have a lot of crashes, injuries, stunts and toilet humor - all of which I find boring and filler for a void that should be filled with better writing. Unfortunately, this is one of those films where you’ll find all the best parts within the trailer. As soon as the employees began to photocopy their ass cheeks on the photocopier I realized the jokes weren’t going to get any funnier. Even the sexual innuendo between Olivia Munn and Jason Bateman doesn’t land in the right way. Munn, supposedly a kick ass coder and strong-willed genius, continually holds back on her brilliant ideas because she has a crush on Bateman and he silences her with glares and awkward flirting.
Office Christmas Party is a tale of sibling rivalry and professional comradery. Its purpose is best served watching the film hungover on a Sunday afternoon. No need to see this at the cinema!
