---
title: "The Boss Baby: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-boss-baby/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-boss-baby"
critics_score: 56
critics_reviews: 21
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Boss Baby (2017): what the critics said

Critics' score 56 from 21 reviews: 5 positive, 9 mixed, 7 negative.

The reviews lean towards mixed, with Alec Baldwin’s voice performance attracting the most consistent praise, even from critics who dislike the film. His corporate manner and comic timing give the suit-wearing baby much of its appeal. The animation also earns approval for its expressive characters, retro styling and colourful fantasy sequences. Supporters find a lively family comedy with enough verbal and visual jokes to make its unlikely premise work.

The divide is wide over how long that appeal lasts. Reservations cluster around an overcomplicated plot, repetitive jokes and frantic action that crowds out the sibling relationship. Deadline celebrates the pace and finds the comedy funny across age groups; the Los Angeles Times finds the script lazy and strained despite Baldwin’s contribution. Emotional warmth convinces some critics but feels unearned to others. Vulture offers a distinct reading, finding sharp political satire in the corporate behaviour and competition for affection.

## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2017. 

The critic finds the film a delightful, clever, and tender animated comedy. Baldwin’s commanding voice performance and the animation’s nostalgic visual style stand out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/boss-baby-review-984291/)

## The i Paper — Matthew Turner

Rating ★★★★. 5 April 2017. 

Turner finds the film witty, delightful and inventive, praising its appeal as a family comedy despite its silly premise. He singles out Alec Baldwin’s pitch-perfect voice performance and the steady stream of verbal and visual gags.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-boss-baby-review-57220)

## Vulture — Emily Yoshida

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2017. 

Yoshida finds the film an unusually incisive political metaphor for Trump-era America. She singles out the Boss Baby’s corporate behavior and the puppies-versus-babies attention economy as especially sharp satire.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/03/boss-baby-movie-review.html)

## Screen Daily — John Hazelton

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2017. 

The page identifies this as a review, but its verdict is not visible in the accessible text. The standfirst notes Alec Baldwin voices the title character and calls him vaguely Trump-ish.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-boss-baby-review/5115763.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2017. 

The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible content.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/movies/the-boss-baby-review-alec-baldwin.html)

## The AV Club — Katie Rife

Rating C+. 30 March 2017. 

Rife finds the film clever at first but increasingly exhausting and manic as it expands beyond its sibling rivalry premise. She praises the emotionally effective opening and lovely animation, while criticizing the later chase sequences and crude humor.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-boss-baby-is-too-big-for-its-britches-1798190860)

## Radio Times — Terry Staunton

Rating 3/5. 

Staunton calls it a wild and witty animation for all the family. He singles out its unlikely, suit-wearing baby hero as a source of pre-teen laughs.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2y63hf/the-boss-baby/)

## The Guardian — Simran Hans

Rating 3/5. 9 April 2017. 

Hans finds the comedy overcomplicated and its jokes one-note, though she admits it made her laugh. She singles out the colorful fantasy sequences and Alec Baldwin’s vocal performance as potential pleasures.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/apr/09/the-boss-baby-review-overcomplicated-animation)

## RogerEbert.com — Christy Lemire

Rating 2/4. 30 March 2017. 

Lemire finds the film more irritating than amusing. She singles out its strained jokes as a particular weakness.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-boss-baby-2017)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2017. 

Gleiberman finds the film amusing in bursts but overcomplicated and tiresome overall. He praises Alec Baldwin’s comic voice performance and the animation, while faulting the story for reaching toward emotional depth without earning it.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-boss-baby-review-alec-baldwin-1202004561/)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Rating 2/5. 23 March 2017. 

Freer finds the film energetic but ultimately ineffective, with little humor or emotional heft. He praises its visual panache and singles out an exciting garden chase.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/boss-baby-review/)

## Time Out — Tom Huddleston

Rating 2/5. 2 April 2017. 

The review finds the cartoon cutesy but boring. It criticizes the convoluted existentialist narrative for leading nowhere.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-boss-baby)

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Rating 1.5/4. 30 March 2017. 

Henderson pans the film as a polished, soulless and calculated misfire. He singles out its premise about love as a limited resource as revealing the story’s crass worldview.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-boss-baby/)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2017. 

Chang finds the film sour, strained and short on imagination. He praises Alec Baldwin’s voice performance but says it cannot rescue the movie’s lazy, half-baked script.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-boss-baby-review-20170330-story.html)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2017. 

Hammond finds the film wildly funny, original and entertaining for audiences of all ages. He especially praises Alec Baldwin’s comic timing and the film’s frenetic pace.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2017/03/the-boss-baby-review-alec-baldwin-video-1202052858/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2017. 

The critic gives the film an enthusiastic verdict, calling it a laughathon. They single out the hilarious script and the animation’s expressive lip-and-eye treatment for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-boss-baby-2017-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## HeyUGuys — Hannah Woodhead

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review finds the film charming but held back by a weak, formulaic plot and jokes that wear thin. It praises the colorful animation, Hans Zimmer’s score, and Alec Baldwin’s performance.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-boss-baby-review/)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Rating 3/5. 7 April 2017. 

Brew finds the film fun and funny, though not a vintage work and weaker once its broader plot takes over. He praises McGrath’s comedic touch and the film’s playful animation and visual style.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-boss-baby-review/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2017. 

The critic finds the film enjoyable but says its formulaic plot overwhelms its best qualities. They praise its sly wit, retro visual style, and the warm rapport between the two brothers.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-boss-baby-review-alec-baldwin/)

## Paste — Jacob Oller

Rating 3.7/10. 29 March 2017. 

Oller gives the film a strongly negative verdict, finding its comedy and emotional development ineffective. He particularly criticizes its convoluted plot and muddy-looking 3-D animation.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-boss-baby/the-boss-baby)

## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2017. 

The critic finds the film an unfunny, middling kids’ movie that quickly wears out its welcome. Alec Baldwin’s voice work and the inventive baby-factory premise offer some initial amusement, but both grow tiresome after about 30 minutes.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/03/31/movies/the-boss-baby-film-review-1bc9ce9ea92f)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-boss-baby.md