39
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- The movie’s most piercing barbs are left for the tech world and the inevitability that our phones will make zombies of us all. Does that make the Boss Baby franchise a bold cinematic bet? Not exactly. But as a safe play for parents and kids alike, it’s tough to complain about the return on your investment.
- 60Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaLos Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaIt’s more of the same, for better or worse, but likely with enough bells and whistles — especially those new characters — to please younger fans.
- 55TheWrapCarlos AguilarTheWrapCarlos AguilarFamily Business offers an array of half-baked conflicts, all crying out to be noticed, while the creators are apparently unsure of which requires the most urgent attention.
- 50IndieWireKate ErblandIndieWireKate ErblandFlashier stuff isn’t up to task, from awkward character design (the adults are, let’s just say, crafted with less care than the kiddos) to shoehorned callbacks and an over-reliance on exposition to push story points that could stand a more artful approach. The mind-bending nature of this series doesn’t help matters. (
- 50VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerThe film itself, unfortunately, is generally less interesting than the business matters behind it, a thoroughly competent affair that tosses in just enough off-the-wall elements to liven up a fairly basic retread of the original’s formula.
- 50The Associated PressJake CoyleThe Associated PressJake CoyleIt’s a manic movie in a familiarly corporate kind of way that provides kids with a computer-generated candy rush. The movie’s own business imperatives occasionally show through like a leaky diaper.
- 40Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonThere are plenty of would-be tearjerking moments in Family Business as different generations of this family reaffirm how much they mean to each other, but the sincerity of those scenes is consistently undercut by the filmmakers’ insistence on overdoing everything: the schmaltz, the slapstick, the feverish pace.
- 40Austin ChronicleSteve DavisAustin ChronicleSteve DavisIt’s overwhelming, but there are a few nice touches that aren’t completely lost in the bedlam.
- 38Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe entire affair isn’t terrible, just a drag. Truth be told, they’ve taken this idea and pounded the cute right out of it. Time to put the pacifier in this boss baby and move on.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenReturning director James McGrath and screenwriter Michael McCullers had an opportunity to build on an entirely workable formula, but instead have settled for a frenetic sugar rush of a retread that rapidly wears out its welcome. Pint-sized viewers might be distracted by the noisy, chaotic result, but most others will be hard-pressed to find the proceedings cute and adorable.