(Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures)
A Must See Holiday Laugh Fest
“Office Christmas Party” can be deemed as one of the best comedy films ending out the year.
With an unlikely cast of characters, this movie has all of the ingredients to tickle the funny bone of moviegoers with gut busting comic relief to boot.
Based in Chicago, “Office Christmas Party” depicts the rivalry between two siblings whose father has passed away and left ownership of his company, Zenotek to them.
One sibling is hardnosed interim CEO Carol Vanstone (Jennifer Aniston) and the other is her carefree approach to life brother Clay Vanstone (T. J. Miller).
To solidify her position in the company as “The” CEO, Carol sets out to close the branch her brother runs.
Giving him an ultimatum to fire 40 percent of his staff or close his branch immediately, Clay and his trusted friend Chief Technical Officer Josh Parker, (Jason Bateman) tell Carol they are closing a big client, Walter Davis (Courtney B. Vance), which will save their company.
Not completely convinced they will close Walter Davis, she reluctantly gives them until after the holidays to get Walter on board with Zenotek.
In true “Grinch” fashion, she strips their office Christmas party and gives absolutely “NO Christmas Bonuses” because the company cannot afford the expense.
After meeting with Walter Davis, he’s not impressed with Zenotek and informs them, “He doesn’t like their culture and is going with another company.”
In a last-ditch effort to gain Walter’s business, they invite him to their office Christmas party to see for himself that his opinion of Zenotek is unwarranted and that he will have the time of his life.
Though everything from the marketing campaign to the movie’s title might lead moviegoers to think otherwise, “Office Christmas Party” turns out to be the story of how a company called Zenotek hatched the most significant advancement in Internet technology of the new millennium.
As such, the movie is dealing with either far too much plot or not nearly enough since all of those who buy tickets undoubtedly will think they are about to witness the rowdiest holiday party this side of “Die Hard” — and would have been content with the HR director dropping cocaine in the snow machine, T.J. Miller emceeing inappropriate holiday raps and random employees making photocopies of their butts.
Directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (“Blades of Glory”) push the envelope as the office party goes from being an event to impress a client that could potentially save the company, to an all-out fraternity party on steroids.
The party includes everything from a man dressed as Jesus riding a horse through the crowd to an overzealous security guard Carla (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who Tasers anyone caught trying to boost office equipment.
In the meantime, Carol is on her way to London, but due to a snowstorm her flight has been canceled.
As she rides an Uber back to the office, she finds out about her brother’s betrayal to have an office Christmas party behind her back and plans on making him pay for defying her.
The supporting cast of “Office Christmas Party” builds the intensity of constant comic relief from the uptight HR director Mary (“Saturday Night Live’s” resident Hillary Clinton, Kate McKinnon), to Nate, (Karan Soni, “Deadpool”) and his imaginary Victoria’s Secret model girlfriend.
From the stars to the co-stars, “Office Christmas Party” is a must see!
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
