Office Christmas Party (2016) User Reviews (246)

Party

[kagey-28769 · 7/10 · 24 December 2021]

I just wish I could get to a party like that !!

On a different note , I can't off much where Jason Bateman hasn't been great , this is his sort of film light , happy and a bit troubled !

Overall just a great fun film . Along with lots of childish humour !! What's not to like.

Just watch it and enjoy and smile.

Its fun if you let it be fun

[jrthawk86 · 7/10 · 17 June 2018]

I understand why people might be down on this movie but I really enjoyed it. It had the right elements of the great party comedy. Great cast. Great party. Maybe I really enjoyed it because I was drinking along with it and wanted it to be good. But is that such a problem to have? It did feel like it couldn't quite hit the punchline as well as I wanted it to. But if you want to have fun with it you will.

So much haters, so much people I don't want anything to do with

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 2 April 2017]

I just finished watching Office Christmas Party without reading the reviews first. And now that I just read a couple pages of reviews I realize once again that there are a whole lot of humorless people walking on this planet. Not that it is the greatest comedy ever, far from that, but there are for sure enough sequences to make you have a good time. I just wonder what does make those negative reviewers laugh. Probably nothing. There are a lot of people that just never laugh, never have any fun in their pretty boring lives. I'm so lucky my wife has the same sense of humor as me, so that we have fun every day of the year. The story in the movie is not to be taken serious because it's just a comedy. Maybe with some stupid humor but it's still way better then a lot of other comedies. Kate McKinnon made me laugh the most, but the other comedians all added their bit as well to make it an enjoyable comedy to watch. Just don't expect too much of the story because it's not the point to have a great story, it's just about the fun.

My new go-to every year

[DanTheButler · 25 December 2022]

I always like a good Bateman flick but this one has everyone else too. It's a bit of an obnoxious and almost surreal film that gets me with every watch. It's kinda like an actual Office movie but without a censor or Steve Carell.

The story is pretty straight forward with characters that are too real and simultaneously unqualified for their job. What's great about it is it's a people movie. Personalities shine through the main cast, supporting cast and even the bit parts. The pacing never drags and the movie almost feels like it could've gone a little longer. I doubt we will ever see a sequel, but one can hope.

Funny Christmas Movie

[blapple90 · 7/10 · 8 January 2018]

I was looking to watch a funny Christmas movie that isn't Elf or A Christmas Story so I gave this a chance since I really like Jason Bateman and I can say I was entertained throughout the whole thing. It's not the greatest movie ever but it checked the boxes I was looking for while watching. It's definitely stupid humor but it gave me a few good laughs

Bateman & Munn give a clinic in "grounding"

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 10 March 2017]

If you study film, you know that entire texts have been written on the importance of "grounding" in a script.

The ground, also known as the glue, is the character that the viewer finds most relatable, most sympatico, when the story itself starts fray around the edges. Which is not to say that all scripts require a strong ground or glue, merely that the more outrageous scripts, the scripts with the least internal cohesion, require as much ground as they can get.

Which brings us to OFFICE XMAS PARTY, one of the more blatant examples of a "spaghetti on the wall" script. In other words, not a lot of fine tuning was done to get this baby ready for shooting day. The writers just took every gag they could think of, threw it against the wall, and then waited to see what stuck.

Some of it stuck, most did not.

But Bateman and Munn hold the film together by holding the attention of the viewer. In fact, they are so effortless at it that, every now and then, for just a split second, you almost think they are acting in another movie entirely, a romcom in which they are the only characters, and you are imagining the other 400 extras in this overdone extravaganza.

Is it funny? Not really. This reviewer laughed exactly once.

Is it engaging? Well, because of Bateman and Munn, actually it is.

Weak

[HEFILM · 3/10 · 9 December 2016]

A lot of talented new and not so new actors and comedians appear in this and like a lot of movies with too many people in it, none get to do much. The set up takes a long time to build to the party but the set up is better than the pay off. It's just a formless mess by that point, the "jokes" become every character dropping the F bomb and most of the slapstick doesn't work.

Is that really still funny? How many years of R rated movies have we seen and R rated comedies? Jason Bateman gamely goes the distance playing straight man. Aniston does a one note version of her previously funnier, mean heartless bitch roles in Horrible Bosses--only there is not twist or reason for it, other than that the movie needs a villain--I guess.

It's just not very clever or funny. Only Courtney B. Vance manages to make his obvious part funny. I suppose this may be a little harsh there are chuckles here and there but it never really takes off and the "story" and resolution are both obvious and confusing. You never get any sense that this office of people give a crap about each other or their jobs--but then we are asked to root for them?

Of course there is also a fair amount of what should be black humor but only little bits of this work the rest just seem kind of ugly. This movie will try everything to see what works but not much does. A lot of fake looking snow in the film which has a flat video look to it as well. You'll just wish that all these good actors had something genuinely funny or original to do--but if that's your Christmas wish this movie won't fulfill it. You really need a script and a sense of direction---from the directors. Oh there's a guy in a sheep costume too, I give it a 3 instead of a 2 because of that.

Funny and fun

[grantss · 7/10 · 25 December 2017]

It is a few days to Christmas but you wouldn't really know it at the Chicago branch of Zenotec. Due to political correctness and the overzealousness of HR, there is very little in the way of celebrations. A quiet get-together is arranged but this is cancelled when the uptight, money-is-everything CEO (who happens to be the branch manager's sister) puts the kibosh on it. She also intends to retrench 40% of the staff at the branch. In a last ditch attempt to save the staff their jobs, the branch manager tries to land a major client. In order to show the client that they're not cold and uncaring, he (without his sister knowing) throws a huge Christmas party, and invites the client. Things could get rather festive, as long as HR don't have anything to do with it...

Funny and fun. I had low expectations for this movie. It looked a lot like the silly sort of thing that Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and/or James Franco would appear in. The fact that it starred Jason Bateman (and not Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill or James Franco) gave me some hope and from the beginning, the hope was vindicated.

Turns out the humour is quite irreverent and non-PC, even anti-PC, (just the way I like it) and reasonably clever in that regard. Definitely not a movie for the easily offended, especially find-an-offense types (even more reason to like it).

It does get a bit predictable and silly towards the end but the first act was excellent and if that sort of quality had been maintained this could have been a classic comedy.

Good for a laugh, plus for pointing out how stupid companies (and individuals) have gotten in their aversion to Christmas celebrations.

Seasonal Depression

[aciessi · 1/10 · 15 December 2016]

Well, where do I begin with this? A comedy about office politics? Geez, where have I seen that before? If you're going to make a comedy movie these days, make it high concept, and if you can't, at least make it funny. Office Christmas Party commits the sin of being neither. Many film critics say this, but I haven't seen a comedy movie more deserving of this title... it's a 90-minute SNL skit.... oh wait, I'm sorry, Current SNL. It thinks it's a wild and crazy comedy, and oh boy, is it not. It plays it safe on nearly everything. It's as if Kate McKinnon's ultra-sensitive HR character directed the film. For a such a diverse cast of funny men and women, they are neutered of good material to work with. Jason Bateman is given nothing. Jennifer Aniston's character is one-note, though I'll give her credit for at least trying to make it work. Then, there's T.J. Miller. Dane Cook lite. He's currently being groomed as Hollywood's next hottest comedy star, and if he is, welcome to the dark ages. He is woefully unfunny. How did he make it out there? Why is it that so many amazing comedians, screenwriters and directors get turned down straight out of film school, and yet they give this man a shot? He gets the most screen time out of everyone here. It's quite sad actually. There are good performances in this, believe it or not. Kate McKinnon and the always funny Rob Corddry are the only two shining spots in this otherwise terrible film. I could go on, but why bother? I don't really need to, but when you spend 30 bucks for you and your friend to go see this in a theater, I feel the need to vent.

Better than I was expecting

[childers-3 · 6/10 · 5 April 2017]

I dreaded seeing this. My daughter rents many videos on Redbox, but we consistently shot her down when she would bring this one up to rent. She finally rented it anyway. We sat down to watch it and I was ready to just play games on my phone until it was over. I was pleasantly surprised. It was not as bad as the reviews would lead you to believe. Comedy is a very relative, personal thing. What someone finds funny, someone else would not. I have strange taste in comedy. I like physical, silly comedies, but also intelligent satire, I'm kind of all over the map when it comes to what makes me laugh. This one, about a software company on the brink of failure, was pretty good. I laughed several times. It was a little long for a comedy, I feel they could have edited some scenes better. Two hours is too long for most movies, especially a comedy. I liked most of the characters and thought they did well with the script they were given. It's not rocket science, but it was entertaining and I'm glad she rented it.

Hollywood Continues its Recent Pattern of Bad Comedies

[angryville · 3/10 · 11 December 2016]

The studios have been in a recent pattern of putting out some really disappointing "comedies," "Hail, Caesar" and "Masterminds" spring to mind first, and you can add "Office Christmas Party" to the list.

Potentially a great cast, an "R" rating which means they don't have to restrain the writing, and..............DUD. Especially with an "R" rating, I fully expect to have more than a few burst-out-laughing moments, that's not the case with this one.

A Human Resources person who runs around spouting company policies? Yeah, surprise....we never saw anything like that before. Really, ummm, funny. The odd thing was, when there was something that was genuinely funny, the audience we were with seemed afraid to laugh. When one character curses out a child at the airport, instead of laughing (because it's supposed to be a COMEDY, folks!), they were horrified. Oh well.

There's a few chuckles but mostly low-key humor dominating this film and that's all I got out of it. You'd be better off waiting for it to come to cable.

For a tacky Christmas Comedy it was pretty flawless

[erikhachmang · 9/10 · 31 December 2021]

Nothing nothing awkward or cheesy. Perfectly paced, perfect characther building in such a short amount of time. Perfectly timed and subtle jokes and pretty great acting.

Even the hundreds of extra's were flawlessly directed.

Good laughs and no restrictons. They went all out in a very un-American way.

Kudos to the director.

I do not have much to say...

[carlos37andre · 7/10 · 19 April 2017]

An unpretentious, funny movie that follows a basic formula. It's not a work of art, nor does it deserve an Oscar, but it has super funny actors and sure to get some good laughs from you. Also, it does not have a very long duration as well, which makes it a fast and fun pastime.

Avoid this party at all costs

[eddie_baggins · 1/10 · 15 December 2016]

If you skip one Xmas party this year then make it Office Christmas Party.

A criminally unfunny and underdeveloped high concept comedy, trying to recapture that Hangover like tone, Blades of Glory directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck fail to ignite the spirit of Xmas with this comedy caper that brings the festive vibe, but fails to bring the laughs.

Like receiving a lump of coal in your Xmas stocking, Party offers up an interesting proposition but delivers nothing but disappointment, as a talented cast are laboured with material that should've been left in Santa's screen writing workshop as the appealing idea of a wild office party complete with outlandish shenanigans is instead overrun by a totally unappealing story of a struggling company trying to win a big contract, with added bi-polar pimps, sister/brother in-fighting and misuses of the office 3-D printer instead taking over.

It's like you're constantly waiting for the true laughs to kick in as a rather labour intensive lead up to the party hitting full swing seems to drag on for far too long then once the party actually starts we are taken away on a consistent basis to revert back to one of the films countless other side stories, it's almost as if Gordon and Speck didn't trust their core concept enough and in the end failed to even unlock any of its potential to be a festive themed riot.

Making matters worse for the film's tired scripting and plotting is a collection of equally tired performances from a well renowned cast.

Lead by the ever the same Jason Bateman (looking and acting like he couldn't care less), Party wastes the comedic talents of T.J Miller (who seems better suited to cameo like turns rather than high screen time), Jennifer Anniston, Rob Cordry and worst of all Kate McKinnon while Olivia Munn just feels out of place in the whole wild night. The cast clearly had chances to improvise a large portion of the films dialogue and situations but barely any of the films payoffs actually work and at the end of the day most of the material here is below the performers talents.

Looking to strike that cord between festive joy and raunchy comedy gold, Office Christmas Party ends up failing to find a winning balance in either denominator and with a collection of recycled jokes and confused stars, this is the worst kind of party where no one seems to be having fun other than the ones that organised the whole shebang.

½ a Kia out of 5

He'll of a Party

[richardellis-68323 · 7/10 · 28 September 2018]

This film did make me laugh in places. Take your brain out and enjoy the silliness. It over the top but it left me with a smile. After all it is the season to be jolly.

Another raunchy comedy about partying hard and finding your inner cool

[kaptenvideo-89875 · 6/10 · 25 December 2016]

When his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day...

Yes, it's another raunchy American comedy about partying hard and finding your inner cool, starring Jason Bateman doing his regular Bateman (warm humble regular joe who just wants to play it straight), Jennifer Aniston doing her regular 2010's comedy Jennifer Aniston (ice queen who turns out to be pretty awesome after all), and bunch of whats-his/her-names you are sure you remember from other movies somewhere.

It's a very by-the-numbers comedy offering nothing that you have not seen too many times before. But the package's tight, so it works fine, especially on the big screen.

Two notes of interest: the two most memorable characters here are both women, a pimp and an Uber driver. I would love to see Fortune Feimster (the latter) starring in her own movie, comedy or otherwise.

RSVP regrets.

[Quietb-1 · 2/10 · 14 December 2016]

Here's a mess of a movie. The first hint of a problem is the number of writing credits. The next hint is two directors.

The movie starts too soon with a scene in the attorney's office with a couple of jokes that fall flat. The info from that scene really didn't matter. The movie starts when Jennifer Aniston storms in and trashes the decorations.

The movie falls the number one test of a comedy. There are just not enough laughs. There is plenty of bad language, drinking, and drug use. There is even some attempts at humor using a gun as a comedy prop. So much doesn't work.

If you last that long, the stills and clips in the end credits make it look like the cast had a better time then the audience. If you pay anything to see this it is too much. Stay home and sort your socks rather then attend this party.

You know, I didn't hate it

[shoobe01-1 · 6/10 · 26 February 2019]

But it could have been better.

Jennifer Aniston was too much. Any boss could have set up the premise, and would have been better if she'd just left then.

The logistics of the party setup and getting it to start from the boring beginning were among the most entertaining. Stretching that out, then finishing with signing the big deal, and saving everyone etc. would have worked fine.

But then they left the office. Why? It's even called Office Christmas Party. Stay there. We've seen a number of these road trip/bad-part-of-town adventures with the same people. Why do the same basic gag again here?

Watch paint dry instead.

[davidbowers-62033 · 2/10 · 21 March 2017]

This really was unfunny despite a strong line up of decent actors it was formulaic and predictable.The usual suspects comedy wise, one dimensional and contrived . The usual (spoiler alert)half baked drug related comedy and spinning cars going blissfully through red lights........come on ! We deserve better......watch it and try to get to the end you will kick yourself. Good points..I honestly can,t think of anything, get on DVD you can always fast forward.

Quite possibly the funniest film of the year...

[mason-shaw · 7/10 · 7 December 2016]

It's that time of the year ladies and germs, where the Holiday movies come crashing in. However, this time we seem to be onto a winner…

2016 is winding down and we have had our fair share of ups and downs. So why not lift the spirit and jump into some festive viewing. This time with the help from Josh Gordon and Will Speck's 'Office Christmas Party'.

Alright, I know… The title may seem rather off putting, but don't take this lightly, this film right here is a top running contender to take out quite possibly 'The Funniest movie of the year'. That's right you heard it. It is that damn good!

Centered around a tech company, this film could not get anymore 2016 if it tried. And man, will it make you depressed about your own lame upcoming Christmas party (better start sneaking that booze in). Featuring a stellar cast of Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, T.J Miller, Olivia Munn and Kate McKinnon just to name a few this film is sure fire, or 'Lit' as 2016 has led us to believe.

McKinnon continues her onslaught of slaying in everything that she does and doesn't look like she is about to slow down anytime soon. Her Comedy is fantastic and for any SNL lover out there, I can guarantee that it will leave you in stitches. T.J Miller (best known for his role in Silicon Valley) brings the heat as he works his magical improv into various scenes throughout, many which almost had me spitting out my Pepsi Max as I attempted to take a sip (Hey Pepsi, need a plug, brah?).

Without spoiling the films plot, it is pretty simple to guess. Yes it is centered around an Office Christmas party (go figure) but it is a delightful and hilarious film that should be added to any Christmas movie list you may have currently running.

Get off the couch, get out of the office, put down the eggnog and stop talking to your creepy cousin. Go see this film right now and join in on the quotes. This has to be the funniest film of the year.

Lightweight and disposable

[Troy_Campbell · 4/10 · 6 December 2016]

December always brings with it a raft of Yuletide yarns that are often fun but not overly great. This crude comedy continues that trend with an enjoyable yet completely disposable romp about the epic eponymous work shindig. When laidback office head Clay Vanstone (T.J. Miller) is warned his Chicago department (inherited from Daddy) is going to be closed down unless he can secure a big contract, his solution is to throw an expensive party with live animals, lots of booze and the promise of bonuses. Of course the proverbial hits the fan and everything that can go wrong, does. Think The Hangover: Xmas Edition where we actually witnessed the night unfold before seeing everyone wake up with killer headaches and life lessons learnt. The gags fly at a million miles an hour with some sticking and some not, but it coasts by on it's super light mood and the sense that this group of extremely funny people are just having a blast hanging out on set and cracking jokes. Miller's man-child and Kate McKinnon's HR by-the-book weirdo are the standouts, and Jason Bateman's and Olivia Munn's more sensible employees are fine (although lacking chemistry as love interests), however Jennifer Aniston and Rob Corrdry are total misfires which bore throughout. The film also dovetails quickly when it gives a pimp subplot way too much attention, and the save-the-internet finale is dumb even by a popcorn comedy's standards, although the eclectic Christmas-themed soundtrack is surprisingly good. The epitome of a throwaway movie, Office Christmas Party maintains a certain level of enjoyment with its breezy vibe and the occasional laugh-out-loud gag, but is ultimately forgettable.

Ignore these bizarre bad reviews

[Jeff-123 · 8/10 · 3 September 2018]

They really don't know what they're talking about.

Hilarious Hard-R screwball comedy, smart, wonderfully acted, tight script, with funny improv from a lot of talented actors with solid comedy cred.

It's a party blowout movie. Bachelor Party. Can't Hardly Wait. Superbad. Old School. It's like that. A great way to spend a couple of hours.

Infectiously fun

[Gordon-11 · 20 June 2017]

This film tells the story of a rich boss who is rather inept at running and making a profit from his technology company. One day, in order to secure a big deal with a client, he throws a mega epic Christmas party for his employees to show that he cares for the welfare of the employees.

"Office Christmas Party" is probably nothing we have not seen before, but it is wildly funny. I like Jennifer Aniston's mean and assertive character, she is really funny. Everyone in the office has a distinctive personality, and they are all memorable. The party is super wild and fun, and the atmosphere is infectious. I enjoyed watching it.

80s style comedy

[VetteRanger · 7/10 · 18 December 2022]

If I had to pick out one word to describe this movie, it would be "unhinged".

It's funny and it's unpredictable. You really never know what's going to happen next. LOTS of clever, unexpected, humorous lines, especially from Jason Bateman, who has mastered delivering strange, wry lines with a straight face.

However, like Die Hard, I don't regard this as a Christmas movie. It's a story that happens at Christmas, but Christmas themes really have little to do with it. And I think more damage is done to an office building in Office Christmas Party than was done to Nakatomi Plaza. :-)

Sit back and prepare to laugh at times and roll your eyes at times, but you'll never relax.

Embarrassing.

[vandelour · 1/10 · 11 January 2017]

A rolling embarrassment from top to bottom. Actors, crew, scriptwriter/s, directors/s, producers, distributors, theaters and viewers.

Whoever thought this 'idea' was worthy of spending money on should be drafted into the Army to make STD protection documentaries.

The dialog was a combination of 'we're hip' and 'we're cute' and finally 'we're immature and silly and you must laugh at our foolish antics'. Not to mention 'we've got cool jobs, act like jerks at work and nobody with a brain ever calls us on it'.

The acting was straight out of Pac Bell. They read their lines in the trailer and then spoke them when the camera was running. What could go wrong?

A lot.