Poseidon-3 Review of My Boss's Daughter

My Boss's Daughter (2003)

Even Mr. Ty-Dee-Bol would have trouble dealing with this cinematic bowel movement

[2 February 2005]

Director Zucker practically pioneered the gross-out/parody film genre that began with "Airplane!" and continued with "Hot Shots" and segued into the more current "There's Something About Mary" blend of farcical humor blended with icky sight gags. "Airplane!" has been counted as one of the all-time funniest films, but with this one, Zucker must be sent to the doghouse. Kutcher (who has built a career out of playing jokes on people, but this one's on him!) plays a young executive who unintentionally winds up house-sitting for his impossibly imperious boss (Stamp.) He thought he was going to hook up with Stamp's daughter Reid, but instead is forced to feed and medicate an aged owl and keep order in a house which is as sterile and perfect as one in any photo spread of an architectural or design magazine. Naturally, this means that a parade of unlikely (and unlikable) characters come clumping in, destroying everything in sight and causing an astonishing amount of stress for the hapless (and dim) Kutcher. Just when the house is at it's lowest ebb of destruction, Stamp is about to return home, so a miraculous recovery is in order. These types of movies are always a source of frustration for the audience because viewers are helpless to do anything about the continual, insane acts of the characters plodding through while the idiotically non-assertive lead allows it all to happen with very little resistance. The characters of "Airplane!" and "There's Something About Mary" may not always have done the right thing and the situations were always far from believable. but for the most part, they were entertaining to watch and enjoyable to be around. This film has the most unendearing, jarringly aggravating pallet of characters imaginable! Virtually everyone is annoying. Kutcher does as well as can be expected in a very thin role. He hasn't got a script to provide any sort of characterization, so he is basically just a prop. Reid, despite some good lighting, is unable to mask her many, MANY hard nights out on the town and who knows where else. She is thoroughly unbelievable throughout, both as an executive (!) and as a love interest. Stamp, while ridiculously rigid, at least has the presence and talent to gain the audience's attention and provide a sense of menace. It's degrading to see him in such a piece of garbage (and his reputation doesn't escape completely unscathed, but he fares better than most of the participants.) Shannon (who somehow receives the prestige billing that ought to have gone to Stamp) plays the same basic thing as always...a clueless dullard with awkward physicality who makes a mess of everything. The film's parodic sensibilities are clear, though some people expecting a more realistic comedy have been confused by the mix. It matters little anyway since the film has virtually nothing to offer in the way of wit, cleverness, humor or entertainment. It's just an excruciating exercise in stupidity and vulgarity (which is itself hampered by trying to maintain a PG-13 rating!)