Deal or No Deal
Maria Frazee's "The Boss Baby" (2010) would send young parents into fits of laughter, as the author satirized those sleepless nights and how a toddler could put an adult's patience to a stern test. Any parent would attest that it should be worth it after looking at the baby's innocent face. However, Frazee's illustrations revealed what parents must be thinking during those testy moments. A stern-faced infant in Wall Street attire, throwing a fit whenever those "meetings" didn't conclude in favor of the baby. It could be diapers, if not the milk. Last but not the least, the constant attention. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the parents are exhausted at the end of the day, as they are likely to be snoring on the couch than in their own comfortable bed.
Dreamworks Animation opted for a loose version of Frazee's illustrated book with Tom McGrath on the helm. The studio producers have faith on McGrath, who directed the "Madagascar" trilogy. This celluloid version became the sixth highest-grossing motion picture of the year. It could be out of the Top 20 when the year would be over, but Dreamworks achieved its goal. It was all business, but the adaptation would divide the audience. Alec Baldwin was the voice behind the Baby Boss, which might be puzzled his fans. Did he recall the mobster he played in "Married to the Mob" (1988)? Was he teasing Donald Trump one more time? Could it be a schizophrenic moment during production? It would be a tough set of questions, as Baldwin is one of those fine actors around. Dreamworks played it safe, which should make Frazee very disappointed after the initial screening. Michael McCullers's screenplay was the reason behind it.
Baby Boss came to a suburban household with a mission: He must stop Puppy Co. from launching a new product. Puppies that wouldn't grow old at all. These cuties were responsible for the adults' shift of attention from adorable babies to oh-so-adorable puppies. If you take the premise seriously, then there would be a fault in the logic. Why can't babies and puppies co-exist inside a house? What's wrong with couples who chose to have a puppy? Why blame a forlorn pug (or a spoiled Frenchie) for the unhappy kids? Some moviegoers might suspect that Dreamworks producers weren't pleased with the Instagram accounts featuring repeated shots of puppies breaking the no-dogs-on-the-bed rule. Let's not forget a German shepherd puppy who was supposed to display land shark behavior, which would be normal for the breed. Alas, the sun, sands, and sea turned this particular pup into an overgrown, hairy fish.
"Baby Boss" would be all about sibling rivalry, the need (or the lack) of attention, and Gandalf, the talking doll, who provided wisdom during those unexpected moments. It should be good enough for mild entertainment. Dreamworks producers were cheeky of thinking of a sequel, as Frazee wrote "The Bossier Baby", which was a follow-up to "Baby Boss". She would be a baby girl in tuxedo, and it wouldn't be hard to guess the actress who must voice her. Melissa McCarthy should be the ideal pick (for the role), but Hollywood became a bit too political this past year. The studio might gamble on Rosie O'Donnell instead.
