The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Adapted Marla Frazee’s 2010 36-page illustration book of the same name,The Boss Baby is  a visually pleasing feature; but thanks to one too many poop jokes and an unnecessarily complex storyline, it struggles through the minutes in telling the story of a suit-wearing baby who has been sent to Earth to fight a secret war against puppies.

Meet Tim Templeton (Bakshi); a seven-year-old boy with a highly overactive imagination who is living the good life with his affectionate and loving parents, Ted (Kimmel) and Janice (Kudrow). As the only child, Tim has been enjoying all of the undivided attention that his parents have provided him over the years with the young boy hoping that it will stay like that forever.  Unfortunately, his life is soon turned upside-down with the arrival of his new baby brother (voiced brilliantly by the feverishly committed Alec Baldwin) who soon takes over the household.

Feeling unwanted, Tim soon becomes suspicious of their new family member who, in his head, walks around like he owns the place in a suave suit and carrying a briefcase. He soon hits the jackpot when he discovers that his new baby brother can talk and that he has been sent to work on a top-secret mission to thwart the new Puppy Co product from launching as, according to him, it may restrict the amount of love that the world has for babies. Agreeing to help him, Tim joins forces with the little man who, if the mission is a success, will soon return to where he came from and Tim will get his own life back to how it was.

Penned by Michael McCullers of the Peabody & Sherman and Baby Mama glory and directed by Megamind’s Tom McGrath, The Boss Baby is a relatively entertaining and at times even hilarious animated feature which benefits greatly from its fast-paced approach and visually imaginative antics.  Unfortunately, though, the film also feels a little uneven and perhaps a little too ambitious in structure with the script falling back on childish humour and a needlessly intricate storyline – involving dirty diapers, family bonds and the mechanisms of a corporate universe – ultimately preventing the audience – especially the younger crowd – from emotionally investing in any way.

Luckily, Alec Baldwin is there to pick up the pieces with the 30 Rock star delivering a solid performance as the corporate-driven Boss Baby whose onscreen dynamic and growing bond with his disapproving older brother – Bakshi offering an equally amiable turn as Tim– serving to be the central focus of the film.  However, their performances, although amusing throughout, are not strong enough to override the flaws and the story’s eager and at times even desperate attempt to please.