Synopsis:
A career criminal seeks to spend his christmas, once again, dressed as Santa Claus so that he and a dwarf can steal a department stores money on Christmas Eve. But an innocent young boy begins to change his heart.
Bad Santa feels like a dark comedy that’s lost its serious
tone. Although seemingly making light of a man’s issues with alcohol it’s still
pretty damn funny. Unfortunately the laughs at times feel few and far between, the
laughter often lulling to a feint chuckle at the occasional gag that feels like
it’s trying too hard to be controversial. Thankfully there are still some knockout
sequences and interactions that shouldn’t be missed.
Often the funniest moments are found in the more subtle
performances. Bernie Mac’s character Gin with his laidback yet authoritative
attitude provide some great lines. To be fair everybody shines and has their own moments, albeit some more than others. Tony Cox as Marcus is great at getting pissed off and plays
brilliantly off of Willie who’s slowly drifting further and further away from a competent partner.
There is a bit of light in the film amidst the badness, as all Christmas
films should have. Willie begins to come around to the festivities, given a
purpose by the unlikely arrival of a sub-average-intelligence eight year old. I
think that’s the charm of Billy Bob Thornton as an actor. He is great
at playing the stern roles, and it’s that kind of character we love to
see turn into the good guy. This slow, subtle transition is in a way more
enjoyable than the humour, which comes across as more of a bonus than what was probably the main selling point.
Overview:
If I’m honest it’s just nice to watch a Christmas film in an
adult setting. That’s not to say any of the greats lose their longevity in
comparison but it’s certainly a welcome and warm change.
Rating:
★★★
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