OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY [R] D+

Having engaged in conversations about what constitutes a holiday movie, I think the more pressing discussion about “Office Christmas Party,” from directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck (the helming duo behind “The Switch” and “Blades of Glory”) is whether or not they have given audiences a truly rowdy and celebratory party movie. The trailers promised an epic head-on mash-up of “The Hangover” series with “Project X” (my current all-time number one party movie), but that standard proves impossible to meet. Jason Bateman makes a perfect straight man and TJ Miller definitely has remains in touch with his inner wild-child, but there’s a listlessness in the execution that keeps the vibe from achieving the dizzying heights that we might dream of in the party glory canon. ”Office Christmas Party” is not naughty enough to be the right kind of nice.