“Bad Santa 2” More of the Same
By Skip Sheffield
“Bad Santa 2” is the kind of movie that makes you feel embarrassed
and slightly soiled. But is it funny? Yes it is, very much so, in its own tawdry
way.
If you saw the first “Bad Santa” in 2003 you know what to
expect. Billy Bob Thornton is laughing all the way to the bank again as William
“Willie” Stokes, an unrepentant alcoholic and sex addict who is pressured to
don the Santa suit once again by his little friend Marcus (Tony Cox reprising
his role) who has just been released from prison. Marcus has a can’t-miss
caper. The duo will rob the safe of a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Willie
isn’t keen on robbing a charity, but he is broke and desperate.
Also reprising his role of bully-bait, naive Thurman Merman
is Brett Kelly, who has grown from a chubby little boy into a fat young man
(Kelly joined 50 pounds for the role) with curly blond hair. Thurman pesters
Willie in Phoenix, then follows him to Chicago to pester some more.
Kathy Bates introduces a new character: Sunny Stokes,
Willie’s mother, who is even raunchier and more debauched than Willie.
Kathy Bates is a fine actress who was twice nominated for an
Academy Award before winning one for “Misery” in 1990. She throws all dignity
to the wind to play tattooed, gin-swilling, foul-mouthed Sunny. She blows away
Willie in badness.
Christina Hendricks plays the new character of Diane, who
works for the charity Willie and Marcus intend to rob. She is the girlfriend of
Regent Hastings (Ryan Henson), the shady head of the charity. Of course she
falls for Willie’s dubious charms.
“Bad Santa 2” has no redeeming value other than low, vulgar
laughs. Happy Holidays.
No comments:
Post a Comment