Movie Reviews: Bad Moms Christmas

The first Bad Mom's movie in 2016 was a silly romp of outrageous humour and vulgarity. It was also a huge hit thereby opening the door for a sequel. The film has Mila Kunis, Kristin Bell, Kathryn Hahn as Amy, Kiki and Carla hosting their moms at Christmas. The moms played by Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon drive the girls to distraction as they once again try to achieve the impossible of being supermoms over the holiday season.

The underlying sweetness of Bad Moms and the over the top belly laughs of antics mixed in with a little bit of wish fulfillment and romance is what drives the story. Scott Moore and Jon Lucas (The Hangover) return as co-writers and directors of the film.

Despite average reviews for the original movie and a third place finish for the opening weekend, Bad Moms built in the days after toe become a box office hit and a fan favourite. Somehow the movie struck a tone for women feeling stressed, alone and under pressure trying to fulfill roles in their busy lives. The idea of friendship and a key group of people being in it with you at the same time was a winning formula. The excesses, profanity and general silliness was beloved because it encompassed a longing in the audience for a closeness where you can drop the veil with your buddies and be yourself.

Christmas and one's own mom visiting is definitely ripe material for comedy. Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathrn Hahn continue to have very good chemistry and their antics elicited raucous laughter in the theatre. The humour of Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon is more one note with Baranski having the best role of the three. Some sections of the movie fall flat such as the carrolling scene until it gets a lift from a cameo by Christina Applegate reprising her role from the last movie.

The danger some Hollywood movie do is repeat the same joke in a recurring theme. For example, the ongoing joke that Christine Baranski's character mistakes Jess (Jay Hernandez) as the help. The joke works best when there is a twist on it. For example, Kathryn Hahn's ongoing joke about waxing women's nether parts gets a twist when a male stripper Ty (Justin Hartley) comes in to the salon for a wax. This is when the movie is at its most outrageous funny and at the same time sweetest.

It is hard to compete with the winning formula of the first Bad Moms but it will probably be a welcome laugh for the audience to revisit favourite characters again in a holiday movie. Without a doubt, expect to see a third outing from the Bad Moms.