I Watch Films: The Boss Baby: Family Business

 

The Boss Baby: Family Business

Tim Templeton of The Boss Baby is now grown up with two daughters, seven year old Tabitha and infant Tina. The Boss Baby from The Boss Baby is his now-adult brother Ted Templeton, who is a rich businessman. Tim discovers his daughter Tina is actually a Boss Baby from Baby Corp. They need Ted for a mission, but Tim and Ted are estranged, though Ted is always sending ridiculously lavish gifts for Tabitha. Tina fakes a phone call to Ted who comes to visit.

Tina gives Ted and Tim a special baby formula that makes them young again, in fact back to their ages in The Boss Baby, coincidentally the ages of Tabitha and Tina. They need to infiltrate the Acorn Learning Centre, a school run by Erwin Armstrong that appears to be designed to stop childhood and even babyhood by making children learn from their earliest age.

The plan is to get sent to the Principal’s office to try and find out what’s going on. Tim gets distracted by an annoying kid in Tabitha’s class, and also by Tabitha’s unhappiness, in part because of the ultra-competitive nature means that her one weak spot (singing in the show) is pounced on by the other kids. When he does misbehave he’s put in “The Box” a relaxation chamber. Ted meanwhile does get to the principal’s office. He discovers that Armstrong is a super-smart baby in an adult suit, who has made a fortune making phone apps. Now he has one more, which he intends to use at the school show to stop parents from telling kids what to do any more.

This sequel manages to be both sillier than the first film, and also almost manages some real feeling. Tim wanting to protect his daughter, though not knowing how. Ted and Tim unable to agree, even when things get serious (in a silly way). This is some actual dramatic tension. Meanwhile there are baby ninjas, and a whole group of babies with Ted in the day care that are wacky and feral.

Watch This: Modestly entertaining baby spy cartoon
Don’t Watch This: It’s all very silly