After all the sneak preview screenings of Marvel movies and action flicks I've dragged my understanding and always-game wife to, I owed her a chick comedy. So last night, we got in the holiday spirit extra early with a peek of A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS.
I didn't see the first "Bad Moms" movie, but I don’t think there were any massive character twists I missed in advance.
Three modern Moms are doing all they can to hold their families together for the holidays when their Moms all show up unannounced much to their mutual horror.
Mila Kunis is Amy, Mom to two teenagers and the daughter of the picture perfect, wealthy Christine Baranski. Amy’s mom showers her grandkids with gifts, criticizes everything Amy does and demands perfection. Peter Gallagher is very good as Amy’s Dad, bowing to his wife’s every demand to keep the peace.
The always-funny Kristen Bell is Kiki, who’s widowed Mom has zero boundaries and strange perceptions of their relationship. Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) is hilarious and twisted. She and Bell generate a lot of horrific laughs and Hines wardrobe throughout is hilarious.
Kathryn Hahn rounds out the trio as Carla, a hilariously profane spa worker by day and Mom to a dim-witted teenager. When her ex-roadie Mom (Susan Sarandon) arrives, she brings zero desire to be a Mom, but plenty of laughs. Hahn and Sarandon play off each other really well, their timing is flawless. I haven’t see Hahn in anything except “This Is Where I Leave You” and her comic chops are impressive. I haven’t seen anyone throw away lines at the end of a scene like Hahn in ages.
Justin Hartley (This Is Us) takes the movie to a whole different level of funny when he shows up at Carla’s spa for a waxing. His stripper/fireman Ty Swindell (remember that name-Carla does) has some of the best lines in the movie and one hell of a poker face during the wax. Hartley steals every scene in the movie that he’s in and doesn’t mind going into some very adult territory for BIG laughs, extraordinarily big...
Wanda Sykes brings laughs in her one scene as a therapist for Kiki and her Mom. Her facial expressions are perfection.
There aren’t too many surprises here but you’re in the hands of some superb comic actors and they all take the everyday material up a notch. Kunis is adept at weaving in some nice dramatic moments, the kid actors are all very good and the scene in the church with the elder Moms together drives LOL moments.
The opposite of highbrow, it’s a pretty funny, foul holiday movie powered by a great cast. I’ll give it a B- but I’m betting that Tamara and all the ladies at the preview (who collectively hooted, shouted and clapped every time Hartley was on screen) would all give it two thumbs up.
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