The Boss Baby Parent Guide
This imaginative telling of the arrival of a new baby hides a message about learning to bond to a new sibling amidst a sea of silly action and adventure.
Parent Movie Review
Tim Templeton (voice of Miles Bakshi) is a seven-year-old blessed with a wonderful family. Not only do his Mom and Dad (voices of Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel) engage in his imaginative play, but they also read him three stories, give him five hugs and sing him one song each night.
However, that perfect life is shattered with the arrival of a little brother (voiced by Alec Baldwin). In short order the tiny tot becomes the boss of the whole house. Demanding all his parents’ energy and love, the Templetons no longer have time for Tim or bedtime routines.
The situation is even worse than the adults realize – yet only Tim seems to know this. While his parents accept as normal the suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying stranger, the big brother has his eye on junior’s other suspicious behaviors, like holding meetings with neighborhood children, protecting his infant formula and talking on the phone. Although he can’t convince Mom and Dad that there is a serious problem, he does eventually force a confession out of his younger sibling.
As Tim suspected, Boss Baby is not a normal kid. Instead he’s a manager from BabyCorp (that’s a heavenly place where babies come from) sent to investigate the dropping popularity of having children and stop the rising trend of raising puppies instead. When Tim figures out that Boss Baby will leave as soon as his earthly mission is complete, the boy agrees to help the little tike in order to get rid of his disruptive presence.
Youngsters are sure to get caught up in the plot to rid the world of a manipulative corporate leader (voice of Steve Buscemi) and his drag-dressing assistant (voice of Conrad Vernon). The slapstick antics, plentiful drool and potty humor, along with many depictions of bare-bottomed babies are definitely aimed at this demographic too. Still, moments of peril in the frequent action scenes and some scary images may be a bit too frightening for the littlest ones.
For older audiences, it won’t take long to see past the fantasy elements and recognize this is really a tale of adjusting to a new addition. As the boys come together in a common cause, a bond begins to form. Despite how ridiculous the adventures portrayed here may be, the idea that working together leads to caring for each other, and that caring leads to loving, does apply to real life. It is that message which may make this zany animation a bundle of joy your whole family can enjoy.
Directed by Tom McGrath. Starring Alec Baldwin, Lisa Kudrow, Steve Buscemi. Running time: 98 minutes. Theatrical release March 31, 2017. Updated July 25, 2017About author
The Boss Baby
Rating & Content Info
Why is The Boss Baby rated PG? The Boss Baby is rated PG by the MPAA for some mild rude humor.
Violence: An imaginative child goes on many adventures, including spy missions, jungle and underwater explorations, and pirate battles. Some scary images and explosions are shown. Mild violence and moments of peril are portrayed. Non-graphic weapons violence, hand-to-hand conflict and slapstick antics are depicted. Characters are chased and captured, verbally and physically threatened, and concerned for their lives as well as those of their loved ones. Some groin hits are shown. Children are left in the care of an evil babysitter.
Sexual Content: Baby’s bare bottoms are frequently shown. Brief frontal nudity is comically digitally pixelated. Potty humor is plentiful. Drool, and other crude bodily functions are depicted. A man dresses as a woman. Brothers bathe together in a tub. Mild sexual innuendo is heard, along with the question, “Where do babies come from?” A puppy sniffs another’s bottom.
Profanity: A term of deity is used. Some name-calling occurs.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Special baby formula has medicinal powers.
Other: The baby Jesus is mentioned.
Page last updated July 25, 2017
The Boss Baby Parents' Guide
Boss Baby tells Tim that their parents do not have enough love to go around for the two of them. How does this speak to Tim’s worst fears? Why does Boss Baby get so much more attention than Tim does? What true feelings do Mom and Dad have for both Tim and Boss Baby?
Boss Baby has been sent to investigate the rising popularity of puppy love and the diminishing birthrate of children. While this is a funny plot element, is there any real truth to this change of affections? Check out these articles from Quartz magazine and the New York Post.
How do Boss Baby’s ambitions for corporate promotion and Tim’s desire to enjoy a family-filled childhood also reflect some of society’s competing goals and priorities? Where do you want to put your time, energy and love?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of The Boss Baby movie is July 25, 2017. Here are some details…
Home Video Notes: The Boss Baby
Release Date: 25 July 2017
The Boss Baby releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy or 3D-Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) with the following bonus features:
- NEW Mini Adventure: The Boss Baby and Tim’s Treasure Hunt Through Time – Narrated by Wizzie, the magical wizard, join Boss Baby and Tim on their adventure!
- The Forever Puppy Infomercial – Always playful, always snuggly, and everlastingly cute; The Forever Puppy is destined to win the cuteness competition with babies once and for all.
- BabyCorp and You – Helpful advice and more for new infants on the job at BabyCorp.
- Babies vs. Puppies: Who Do YOU Love? – Who has won the hearts of familes once and for all? This “scientific” experiment compares and contrasts factors such as “cuddliness,” “adorability,” and “attention grabbing techniques” used by both demanding competitors.
- The Boss Baby’s Undercover Team – From Staci, the note taker who can’t read, to Jimbo the huge baby who’ll take a suction cup arrow for the Boss, to the triple-threat of the Triplets, Boss Baby dives deeper into this team of cute corporate board members.
- Cookies are for Closers: Inside BabyCorp – Go behind the scenes with Director Tom McGrath as he introduces us to BabyCorp, a secret organization of infants united for a common goal in THE BOSS BABY.
- The Great Sibling Competition – A fun, kid-friendly and humorous look at the competition among siblings to win the affection of their parents. Explore conversations with the cast and crew on their competitive sibling relationships and get very special insights from Boss Baby himself: Alec Baldwin.
Related home video titles:
In the movie Storks a young boy tries to remind his parent of the joy a baby could bring into their home. Other movies that extoll the importance of family and children include: The Family Man, The Incredibles and Yours, Mine and Ours (1968). The documentary Babies shows how families in different parts of the world raise their little ones.
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