Film

The Boss Baby

Name: The Boss Baby
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Released: 2017
Cast: Miles Bakshi, Alec Baldwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Steve Buscemi

Comedy
Light-hearted

The Boss Baby is a candy-colored animated comedy about sibling rivalry, told through the fever-dream logic of a seven-year-old's imagination. A literal briefcase-carrying baby arrives to shake up Tim's world, and the film commits fully to the absurdity of its premise. It's bright, fast, and genuinely funny for both kids and the adults forced to watch it.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy animation that treats a child's wild imagination as a full-blown adventure, with gags that land on both the kids and the grown-ups in the room.

Skip it if you find sibling-rivalry comedy wearing thin, since much of the running time circles the same jealousy joke with bright, loud energy rather than building much new ground.

What it asks of you: It runs about ninety-seven minutes at a brisk clip, asking you to keep up with rapid cutting and a narrator whose version of events you should take with a pinch of salt.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted2012

Same studio's gift for anarchic humor and wildly energetic set pieces. The voice cast delivers zingers as fast as the animation can keep up, and the emotional core about found family sneaks past your defenses.

But The plot is essentially a series of excuses to show off animation and gags. If you need coherent storytelling, you'll be frustrated by the seams.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted poster

Sonic the Hedgehog2020

Another film that embraced the absurdity of its high-concept premise instead of fighting it. Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey's chemistry drives the comedy, and the movie knows exactly what it is: a fun, colorful romp.

But The plot is thin and forgettable. You're there for the energy and the joke density, not character arcs or stakes that linger.

Minions2015

A spin-off built entirely on charm and comedic timing. The Minions communicate in gibberish that somehow conveys more personality than dialogue often does. Pure joyful silliness.

But There's virtually no plot and it doesn't try to have one. If you're looking for narrative substance, this is scaffolding for gags, nothing more.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Boss Baby

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Inside Out2015

Both use a child's subjective, imaginative interpretation of reality as their structural foundation. Not what really happened—what the kid thought happened, and why that matters.

A film that actually dramatizes how a child's mind works—in this case, through personified emotions. Like The Boss Baby's narrator being unreliable because he's seven, Inside Out is structured around how kids actually experience and misunderstand the world. The comedy emerges from psychology rather than slapstick.

But It's genuinely melancholic in the second half. The film has no interest in staying light and bouncy; it goes to surprisingly vulnerable emotional places.

Wreck-It Ralph2012

A video-game adventure that mirrors The Boss Baby's theme of feeling displaced in a family, but with more emotional depth. John C. Reilly brings warmth to a character everyone else dismisses, and the world-building is inventive.

But It occasionally leans into sentimentality that doesn't quite land. The pacing sags in the middle as it tries to do too much.

The Lego Movie2014

Rapid-fire humor layered under a surprisingly touching story about belonging and self-worth. The animation is deliberately weird and expressive. Both kids and adults will laugh at different jokes, which is the mark of good family comedy.

But The relentless cheerfulness can feel exhausting. It's a feature-length commercial, and once you notice that, it's hard to unsee.

Hop2011

A live-action/animation hybrid that commits to its silly premise with genuine warmth. James Marsden and a CGI rabbit somehow sell a father-son dynamic that echoes Tim's journey with the Baby.

But The Easter Bunny mythology gets messy and the tone wavers between kids' film and something trying too hard for adults. It's uneven in ways that undermine the sweetness.

Paddington 22017

A family film with impeccable craft, heart, and humor that works on every level. The voice acting is phenomenal and the script proves animated comedies can be genuinely clever without condescension.

But It's so wholesome it borders on treacly. If you're allergic to sincerity, the emotional beats will feel heavy-handed.

How to Train Your Dragon2010

An animated adventure that takes its emotional core seriously while staying visually inventive and funny. The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless has real warmth, and the action sequences are genuinely thrilling.

But The plot hits familiar beats: outcast finds his place, proves everyone wrong. The Viking setting doesn't hide how conventional the story is underneath.

Shrek2001

The original subversive fairy-tale comedy that proved animation could be sharp, layered, and funny for grown-ups. Eddie Murphy's donkey is comedic gold and the world-building is genuinely inventive.

But Some of the pop-culture references have aged badly and feel dated now. The gross-out humor, while inoffensive in context, doesn't land as fresh as it once did.

Craig of the Creek2018

Both understand that the real story of childhood is emotional and social, not necessarily loud. The Boss Baby uses spectacle to explore rivalry and belonging; Craig uses stillness to explore the same themes.

An animated series that captures the actual texture of childhood—the games, the hierarchies, the small dramas—with remarkable tenderness. It's funny without ever feeling like it's talking down to kids. Each episode is a gem of observation and warmth.

But The pacing is deliberately slow and contemplative. If you're used to the kinetic energy of theatrical comedies, the quiet moments might feel draggy.

Bluey2018

Like The Boss Baby, it's fundamentally about how new siblings disrupt the existing order and the grief and growth that follows. Bluey just approaches it with anthropomorphic dogs and quieter observation instead of a talking briefcase.

An Australian animated series about a dog family that somehow captures the actual logistics and emotional reality of parenting and siblinghood better than almost anything else. Funny, moving, inventive, and done in 7-minute episodes of staggering craft.

But It's relentlessly earnest about family dynamics. There's no edge or irony to hide behind; if sentimentality bothers you, this won't work.