Badder than the average Santa

Sorry if this review (such as it is) seems untimely. The movie came out a whole year later here in the UK than it did in the US, but even that can't excuse either my tardiness or lack of seasonality. Anyway, last night I watched Bad Santa. Technically, I think I watched Badder Santa, the extended, unrated version, but here in the UK, since that seems to have been the only version released, it's just Bad Santa.

To be honest, I wasn't sure that it was going to be my cup of tea. And Wife had decided from the off that it wasn't hers, so off she trotted to beddy-byes while I loaded up the DVD.

It didn't start well. The first five minutes went by and I wasn't impressed. Then another five. "Oh bollocks," I thought. "I've picked another fucking dud." But this film had seemed so promising. Billy Bob Thornton in the lead, John Ritter's final movie, that dwarfy black bloke from Rescue Me and Me, Myself & Irene, even Bernie Mac. And there's this girl in it who I've seen playing poker on Hollywood Home Game or whatever it's called. I mean... how could it fail?

Then another five minutes, and now I'm smiling. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere."

From that point on things were decidedly better. There are some great moments. It's crass at times, and some people might consider it offensive. Indeed, if the very premise of a drunken Santa and a dwarfy black elf who are con men ripping off department stores and saying "fuck" a lot is not already making you smile, then this movie's probably not for you.

It's not gross in the way that people think Farrelly Brothers films are gross. And for my money it's better than their films anyway. I laughed a lot more than I do for most films. Although it must be said that I laugh at anything, simple bugger that I am.

Again, not a long film: about 95 minutes or so, so no great investment of time is needed. Go on, give it a go.