The Boss Baby: Family Business - A Hilarious, Heartfelt Sequel
Tim and Ted are back, but this time, they’re not babies anymore. Tim is now a stay-at-home dad, while Ted is a successful CEO who’s lost touch with his family. Their reunion is sparked by Tim’s two-year-old daughter, Tina, who’s secretly an agent for BabyCorp. A nefarious Dr. Armstrong (voiced by Jeff Goldblum) is building a network of schools to brainwash kids into believing they should rule the world. To stop the impending “baby revolution,” Tim and Ted must transform back into kids and take down the doctor.
Scene from “The Boss Baby: Family Business”
Catching Up with the Templetons
In the first “Boss Baby,” Tim (voiced by James Marsden) and his baby brother Ted (voiced by Alec Baldwin), a secret agent from BabyCorp, were constantly at odds. But they eventually bonded after stopping a global crisis (the “Puppy Co.” planned to replace children with adorable puppies).
Now, Tim is a family man with two daughters and a wife. He’s still a kid at heart, stuck in the early 2000s. His older daughter, Tabitha, wants to be successful like Uncle Ted and prefers studying the periodic table to bedtime stories. Ted is a wealthy CEO, far from his baby days. But the most surprising is two-year-old Tina, who works for BabyCorp like Ted once did, wearing suits and handling family business. When BabyCorp calls Tim and Ted for an urgent mission, the brothers reunite, drink magic formula, and become kids again to save the world.
Scene from “The Boss Baby: Family Business”
A Baby Revolution?
At BabyCorp, everything is the same, except for a giant golden statue of the Boss Baby, which delights Ted. They uncover a sinister plot: Dr. Armstrong is planning a “baby revolution.” Despite the villain’s somewhat relatable childhood trauma, Tim and Ted must stop his madness. Infiltrating Armstrong’s prison-like school is the easy part. The challenge is resisting the villain’s charm and populist ideas. Who could resist free cake and soda in exchange for joining a war against adults?
Humor and Heart
“The Boss Baby: Family Business” tries to be smarter than it is, but its attempts at adult themes often fall flat. Tim, as a boy named Marcus, connects with Tabitha, who doesn’t know he’s her dad. Tim’s efforts to be a “good dad” feel like a clumsy teenage pickup attempt. In another scene, Tina gives Ted his BabyCorp file, which contains only a letter from Tim expressing his love for his brother. While the sentiment is touching, it could have been handled with more subtlety.
Scene from “The Boss Baby: Family Business”
Throughout the movie, the brothers and Tina discuss corporate culture (it’s outdated, replaced by children’s values), school (“school is evil”), and childhood (“childhood is the worst”). Dr. Armstrong’s quotes add to the complexity. While there are many adult ideas for a kids’ movie, there’s no shortage of action scenes. Created by the director of “Madagascar” and “Penguins,” the action is often funny and well-designed. Director Tom McGrath spent years developing the world of the first “Boss Baby,” filling it with dynamic scenes and jokes. The fight between adult Ted and Tim, who get younger and younger during the battle, is a highlight. The numerous pop culture references also keep the movie lively.
A Bit Too Sweet?
The frequent musical numbers feel like DreamWorks Animation trying to imitate Disney, but it doesn’t quite work. A Christmas performance where Tabitha sings a touching song feels forced, especially when the brothers declare their love for each other while preparing to die. By the end, “The Boss Baby: Family Business” becomes a saccharine Christmas tale released in the summer. While the beginning promised a witty action movie, the ending is overly sentimental. And the question of why all the Templeton family members’ names start with “T” remains unanswered.