Catch-Up with Jason Bateman’s 2011 Work
Bill Hader and Jason Bateman in 'Paul'
As we gear up for 2012’s big releases, we’d like to take the time to acknowledge 2011 Frat Pack Man of the Year Jason Bateman’s impressive year. His three films Horrible Bosses, Paul and The Change-Up grossed an impressive $381.2 million worldwide. While most of us have already seen his stellar work leading the ensemble cast of Horrible Bosses, we’d like to recommend additionally viewing his big roles in Paul and The Change-Up, which weren’t as big at the domestic box office.
Paul
Directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad)
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, David Koechner and the voice of Seth Rogen.
Gross: $37.4 million domestic + $60.57 million overseas = $97.9 million worldwide
Summary: Bateman plays the villain, Agent Zoil, leading a team of FBI agents (Hader and Lo Truglio) on the hunt for two British tourists (Pegg and Frost) as they travel across the country trying to save an alien (voiced by Rogen) escaped from a military testing camp.
Links: Watch the film via download (for Rent or Purchase) from Amazon or iTunes.
Horrible Bosses
Directed by Seth Gordon (Four Christmases)
Starring: Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.
Gross: $117.5 million domestic + $92.1 million overseas = $209.6 million worldwide
Summary: Bateman stars as Nick, who along with his two best friends (Sudeikis and Day), who plot to kill each of their abusive bosses (Spacey, Farrell, Aniston.)
Links: Watch the film via download (for Rent or Purchase) from Amazon or iTunes.
The Change-Up
Directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers)
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann, Olivia Wilde and Alan Arkin.
Gross: $37 million domestic + $36.5 million overseas = $73.5 million worldwide
Summary: Bateman stars as Dave, a married father who switches bodies with his hard-partying bachelor best friend Mitch (Reynolds), after the two drunkenly wish for the other’s life.
Links: Watch the film via download (for Rent or Purchase) from Amazon or iTunes.
We’d love to hear your comments on Jason Bateman’s 2011 filmwork. Leave your feedback below.
In the meantime, enjoy this web video featuring and produced by Bateman’s DumbDumb production company, starring Anchorman’s David Koechner, part of their “Always Open” series for the Denny’s restaurant chain.
Paul is Hilarious! One of my favourite comedies of the year and one of the best ones i’ve ever seen
Loved Horrible Bosses (laughed more watching this than Bridesmaids) and also loved Paul. The Change-Up is polarizing, there were a number of laugh out loud scenes but overall the film may have been too vulgar for some, although I liked it too - maybe only because Bateman was there. Contrary to what some people have said, Jason Bateman does NOT play the same character in every film. Proof of that is all those films above (also State of Play? Juno?). Michael Bluth-ey in Horrible Bosses, stiff humorless agent in Paul, irresponsible sleazeball in Change-up. And always hilarious. I hope he gets more good material next year - he deserves it! Great year for him and great choice for Frat Pack Man of the Year!
Wow, for man of the year that’s 2 pretty awful movies and one good one. I love Bateman but he seems to be having a tough time shaking off the Michael Bluth character (though I must say despite how awful Paul was, Bateman was the highlight).
I really liked Paul and Bosses, and thought Change-Up was pretty good.
The Change-Up was a piece of shit. Sorry, it was just god awful. Horrible Bosses was the funniest comedy of the year and Paul was decent.
I think Chris’ reaction is close to how I’d rank the 3 (not as harsh on Change-Up)
Bosses: Great
Paul: Decent
Change-Up: Eh, not great/not awful
On my list of the 50 best movies of the year overall:
Horrible Bosses: 2nd (just behind 50/50)
Paul: 14th
The Change-Up: 43rd
Say what you want about the Change-Up but I liked it.
The Change Up and Paul both appear on my worst of the year list, Paul mainly because considering everyone involved it should have been far funnier/interesting instead it felt like a badly paced mess and The Change-Up committed the greatest crime a comedy could make, it wasn’t funny at all, it was one of the 3 comedies this year that had zero laughs along with 30 Minutes or Less and Zookeeper. I’ll give you Horrible Bosses was pretty decent though, not spectacular but fun.
30 Minutes or Less was so disappointing. Literally all the best parts (and a lot of spoilers, really) were in the trailer. And the trailers were actually very funny, which adds to the disappointment
So Jack, you and your sister Jill’s movie was funny was it!!