Review

Office Christmas Party

Clay (T.J. Miller), Josh (Jason Bateman) and Tracey (Olivia Munn) are about to play some reindeer games in Office Christmas Party, a comedy about what happens when irresponsible adults make bad decisions with ruminant mammals.
Clay (T.J. Miller), Josh (Jason Bateman) and Tracey (Olivia Munn) are about to play some reindeer games in Office Christmas Party, a comedy about what happens when irresponsible adults make bad decisions with ruminant mammals.

Most office Christmas parties don't merit a cinematic treatment because they are more of an obligation than cause of holiday cheer. Those who still have employers willing to spend money on decorations and libations are often peeking at their watches more than listening to the same dull pep talks they hear the rest of the year.

Then again, most of us don't work with gifted comics like Saturday Night Live cast members Kate McKinnon and Vanessa Bayer. Both can create mirth from material as thin as a communion wafer.

Office Christmas Party

77 Cast: Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, T.J. Miller, Jennifer Aniston, Kate McKinnon, Courtney B. Vance, Jillian Bell, Rob Corddry, Vanessa Bayer, Randall Park, Sam Richardson, Karan Soni

Directors: Josh Gordon and Will Speck

Rating: R, for crude sexual content and language throughout, drug use and graphic nudity

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

The rest of Office Christmas Party is almost as generic as its title. There are six credited writers involved and from the outtakes at the end, some inconsistent ad-libbing. Judging from the closing credits, it must have been fun to be on the set for directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (the team behind Blades of Glory and The Switch). If only the two were more judicious about what made it through the final cut.

There are some funny moments of debauchery and poor taste that should not be repeated unless one wishes to be fired, injured or possibly imprisoned for life in Guantanamo Bay. It's too bad that viewers have to wait for them.

The plot line involves a profitable information technology concern that isn't quite lucrative enough for unbending CEO Carol Vanstone (Jennifer Aniston). Her brother Clay (T.J. Miller, Deadpool) is running the firm's Chicago branch at a 6.5 percent profit margin, but he has to be even further in the black or his sister will lay off 40 percent of the workforce.

Unlike his sibling, Clay actually cares about his employees and loves holding parties that make Roman orgies seem prudish. Teaming up with his trusted lieutenants Josh (Jason Bateman) and Tracey (Olivia Munn), the three try to convince a seemingly humorless exec (Courtney B. Vance) at another firm to invest $14 million in a deal that would not only double the profit margin but ensure all involved earn bonuses.

Having heard that the company is slashing jobs and closing offices, the leery investor isn't interested. Clay figures an opulent bash would send the message that the company is fun and successful enough to afford a bacchanal or two.

With Clay's eagerness to impress and even shock, there are several quick sight gags that lead to laughter and guilt. But with a large cast and a scattershot storyline, there's a lag time between reindeer drinking from toilets and a man dressed as Jesus happily reminding partiers that they're celebrating his birthday.

Despite the R rating, the best of these gags make it into the trailer, which makes paying for a ticket seem as extravagant as one of Clay's soirees.

The main story arc isn't that involving, but casting McKinnon as an HR supervisor who takes her job far too seriously is guaranteed to make sides ache whenever she's on screen. Jillian Bell is similarly amusing as a flesh and drug peddler who provides a "girlfriend" (Abbey Lee) for a lonely manager (Karan Soni) and Bolivian marching powder for those who find alcohol too mild.

It's an odd film where the actor playing an Uber driver (Fortune Feimster) gets more laughs than the top billed stars. Perhaps there's a better party in her car.

MovieStyle on 12/09/2016

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