Office Christmas Party | Film Review

Some movies aren’t here to engage your intellect, or stimulate meaningful conversations as you hit the theater parking lot. Not everything needs to hit you right in the emotional gut nor jump-start your Monday morning conspiracy theories. Sometimes, you just want to set your brain to “OFF”, kick back and – much like the intent of every party in history – have a damn good time. That’s all “Office Christmas Party” wants to be, and ultimately that’s enough to get this movie hoppin’.

Clay Vanstone (T.J. Miller) runs the Chicago branch of his family’s business, and his sister Carol (Jennifer Anniston) is determined to drastically roll costs and bonuses back to secure her slot as CEO. Desperate to save jobs, Clay enlists his stalwart Chief Information Officer Josh Parker (Jason Bateman) – how often do these guys get to cut loose – to round up the troops and use the office Christmas party as the perfect opportunity to land a big client with a penchant for familial business practices. You know how these movies work – gather as much booze as you can muster, illegal narcotics for the ambiance, and wrap it all up in a big bow of hijinks, shenanigans, sexy time and bodily injury.

Toss in a few random archetypes – Olivia Munn as a tech genius, Kate McKinnon as everyone’s whack-a-doo Human Resource nightmare, and even Jillian Bell as a random pimp running girls as party favors – and you have yourselves the kind of party Redfoo would emcee. The collection of actors that randomly pop-up throughout “Office Christmas Party” is actually pretty impressive, and that’s part of the movie’s charm.

Unlike so many high-concept comedies of late, directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck have zero interest in trying too hard. Take that comment how you will, as the movie is anything but brain candy, nor does it aspire to be. Too often, filmmakers think they’re hilarious or quirky, when they’re just being pompous auteurs. This is a fun, crude, wild and absurd version of “The Hangover” told in the stylings of “Office Space”, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Is there anything fresh or new here? Nope. Any brave artistic achievements? Not unless you count teaching me a water cooler can be used as a tequila dispenser, which I do. And you can predict just about everything that is going to happen 5 minutes in, yet somehow it all works. Between Miller’s charm, Anniston’s bravado, Bateman’s everyman schtick, and especially McKinnon’s hyped-up caricature – it just flows.

This is a movie where the plot doesn’t matter and if you go with a group of friends, you’re all gonna laugh. Often. If you don’t mind keeping your brain secured firmly in the trunk of your car for two hours, “Office Christmas Party” is worth your RSVP.