Melissa McCarthy’s rise to prominence in popular culture over the last few years is undeniable. She has achieved considerable success, and her career has been on a remarkable upward trajectory. Following a six-year run from her Emmy-winning role on the CBS sitcom **Mike and Molly**, she received an Oscar nomination for **Bridesmaids** and has starred in numerous comedies, some more successful than others. Her appearances on **Saturday Night Live** are consistently entertaining. McCarthy is also slated to appear in the upcoming female version of the classic 1980s comedy **Ghostbusters**. Fans of the WB network series **Gilmore Girls**, which ran from 2000 to 2007, were pleased when she joined the Netflix revival years after first gaining recognition on television. So it’s safe to say that Melissa McCarthy continues to be a significant presence in both TV and film. In her latest comedy, **The Boss**, Melissa McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone collaborate on the script—along with Steve Mallory—with Falcone also directing. They previously worked together on **Tammy** in 2014, where Falcone directed and McCarthy starred. It’s encouraging to see this Hollywood couple creatively collaborating on their film projects. However, it's disappointing that their work has resulted in fairly predictable comedies. On the surface, **The Boss** seems like a comedy about female empowerment, but underneath lies a shallow story with the comedic depth of a cheap novelty item. McCarthy plays Michelle Darnell, a wealthy CEO reminiscent of Martha Stewart. She’s so rich that she's considered the 47th wealthiest woman in America. However, her financial dealings led to legal trouble and imprisonment. After serving time (which was more comfortable than harsh), Michelle discovers her assets have been frozen and her former lover and business rival, Renault (Peter Dinklage), has taken over her companies. With no place to go, she intrudes upon the life of her former assistant, Claire (Kristen Bell), who is a single mother raising a 10-year-old daughter, Rachel (Ella Anderson). The insufferable Michelle proves disruptive in Claire’s household and treats everyone around her with disdain. Michelle then finds a way to reenter the business world and reclaim her status as a successful entrepreneur. Her plan involves Rachel's Dandelion troop, which she uses for inspiration to recruit outcast girls—dubbed "Darnell's Darlings"—to sell brownies based on Claire’s recipe. While pushing these young girls toward success, Michelle aims to instill in them qualities of strength and independence. She wants to ensure the hardships she experienced as a rejected child raised in a Catholic orphanage are not repeated by the girls she is mentoring. **The Boss** has some slapstick moments that work, and McCarthy is willing to do whatever it takes to elicit laughs. Playing abrasive characters like Michelle Darnell suits her talents, especially when the script provides adequate support. However, **The Boss** feels uninspired because McCarthy’s best comedic moments are fleeting, and the movie's predictable plot never reaches the level of her more successful films. The film borrows heavily from the 1989 comedy **Troop Beverly Hills** and the 1988 film **Big Business**. Thankfully, **The Boss** isn't as weak or easily forgotten as some of McCarthy’s previous movies like **Tammy** or **Identity Theft**. It also doesn’t quite measure up to her better films such as **Bridesmaids**, **The Heat**, or **Spy**. Ultimately, this particular film should be considered a failure. **The Boss** (2016) Universal Pictures 99 mins. Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Ella Anderson, Kathy Bates, Tyler Labine Directed by: Ben Falcone MPAA Rating: R Genre: Comedy Critic's rating: ** stars (out of 4 stars) (c) Frank Ochieng

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