First it was Almost Christmas. Then it was Bad Santa 2. Now Office Christmas Party has completed the holiday trifecta of mediocre Yuletide schlock.
It stars Jason Bateman as an officer of a huge firm in Chicago. He’s recently divorced and he’s just learned that his company has failed to meet its standard quotas. That means there will be a series of downsizing for a good number of employees. He’s delivered this news by his CEO (Jennifer Aniston), a boss who seems to have gone to the same college of bossing as Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.
Their only hope of keeping the business alive is to convince a wealthy financial giant (Courtney B. Vance). They go about it by throwing a huge party even though Aniston believes it’s completely pointless.
Once they get their party on, the employees think of every way to impress their new clientele, but apparently guzzling down too much eggnog gets in the way. There are some scenes of inspired lunacy, but nothing ever really reaches escaped velocity. Don’t even get me started on a scene involving a fountain that produces eggnog or how different employees think of unique ways to use the copier. Or even how Deadpool’s T.J. Miller tries to emulate a chase scene straight out of the Fast & Furious movies.
Those scenes alone do have some funny moments, but the script never allows its actors to bust loose and fly with the premise. The rest of the time it wanders aimlessly into being predictable especially during the climax. Skip this party and focus on more of your own Christmas shopping instead.
Grade: C
(Rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, drug use and graphic nudity.)
