The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)    DreamWorks/Comedy-Adventure    RT: 107 minutes    Rated PG (rude humor, mild language, some action)    Director: Tom McGrath    Screenplay: Michael McCullers    Music: Steve Mazzaro and Hans Zimmer    Release date: July 2, 2021 (US)    Cast: Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Amy Sedaris, Ariana Greenblatt, Jeff Goldblum, Eva Longoria, James McGrath, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Raphael Alejandro, Serenity Reign Brown.    Box Office: $57.3M (US)/$146.8M (World)

Rating: ** ½

 Has it really been four years since The Boss Baby came out? To be honest, I don’t really care. Although I liked it better than I thought I would, it didn’t stay in my memory files all that long. Other than the Glengarry Glen Ross reference (“Cookies are for closers.”), I didn’t remember all that much about it. As such, the news of an impending sequel had no effect on me whatsoever. I met The Boss Baby: Family Business with an air of indifference. I didn’t expect much which turned out to be the wrong attitude. It’s actually too much.

 Tom McGrath (the Madagascar movies) returns to direct this very busy second installment which finds the Templeton brothers living separate lives forty years after their takedown of Puppy Co. Tim (Marsden, the X-Men movies) is now a married father of two. He seldom sees younger brother Ted (Baldwin, The Cat in the Hat), a successful CEO whose job keeps him too busy for things like family. Tim never outgrew his active imagination, but it appears as though eldest daughter Tabitha (Greenblatt, Stuck in the Middle) is heading in that direction. A gifted child, she’s just been accepted to a highly competitive school headed by Dr. Armstrong (Goldblum, Jurassic Park), a sinister pedagogue with more on his mind than educating young minds. Mind if I circle back to this?

 Saddened by the idea of 7YO Tabitha growing up, Tim’s shocked and elated to discover that his infant daughter Tina (Sedaris, Elf) is a boss baby like her Uncle Ted. It seems she’s been sent to deal with another crisis, one that requires help from both brothers. After luring Ted to Tim’s house, she takes them both to Baby Corp where they’re sent to infiltrate Tabitha’s school to find out what evil thing Armstrong has planned. They’re transformed into their old selves by a magic formula that will wear off in 48 hours. The plan involves an app that turns parents into zombies thus freeing children of rules and restrictions. It’s up to Tim, Ted and Tina to shut it down.

I think we can all agree that’s sufficient plot for one kid’s movie, but the makers of The Boss Baby: Family Business would beg to differ as evidenced by all the other stuff they manage to cram in. Obviously, we have the subplot concerning Tim and Ted resolving their differences and reestablishing their brotherly bond. Also, we have the Tim-Tabitha storyline that takes a strange turn when young Tim becomes a classmate/friend of Tabitha. It’s he who encourages her to have confidence when singing a solo at the school’s Christmas pageant run by two students who have it out for his daughter. There’s a holiday visit from the parents, Ted Sr. (talk show host Kimmel) and Janice (Kudrow, Friends). True to his nature, baby Ted takes charge of the playroom at school and leads the other infants in a prison break. There’s also a pet pony named Precious and a clan of ninja babies.

 I have a feeling kids will love The Boss Baby: Family Business despite its running time. It’s 107 minutes long which is something of an anomaly. Movies aimed at young children usually clock in at about 90 minutes. After that, they tend to become restless. It’s probably best to watch this one at home (it’s current available to stream on Peacock). That way, you can hit pause when the little ones need a break. For me, that’s not an issue. I just wanted to get it over with. In all fairness, it isn’t all that bad. Sure, it’s completely formulaic and totally silly. It also has a few nice touches. I give it props for managing to work in “The Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The best musical moment is a fantasy sequence set to Cat Stevens’ “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” (from 1971’s Harold and Maude) when child Tim helps Tabitha find her vocal chops.

 For the most part, The Boss Baby: Family Business feels like warmed-up leftovers with a few added ingredients to make it taste differently. The jokes aren’t as funny and the fun feels rather forced this time. However, it can’t be said that it drags at any point. It goes beyond fast and energetic; it’s hyperactive. It’s like handing an already out-of-control child a bag of sugar and telling him to have at it. The narrative is unfocused and all over the place. The voice talents do a good job; they sound like they’re having some fun with what’s obviously paycheck-only work. Me, I was entertained, but never impressed. The Boss Baby: Family Business is never in any danger of being mistaken for a Pixar film. It’s strictly for the kiddie set. Parents will just have to grin and bear it if they take their offspring to the cinema. At least if they opt for home viewing, they can text or check their social media while their kids enjoy the CA anarchy.