Never mind the profanity in Bad Santa. (And there's lots of it. I'm pretty case-hardened, but even I thought the profanity was a bit over the top.) Bad Santa just isn't funny. The story itself is decent enough, but the execution of this movie is simply awful. Thornton's Willie/Santa is such a shallow character that when he does, at long last, start to have some empathy for his young host, the change comes out of nowhere. His dialogue is tired and lame. The other characters are just as bad, and considering that they're played by the normally excellent Bernie Mac, Ajay Naidu, John Ritter, and Tony Cox, the fault could only lie with the director. There's no other way a movie could suck the life out of so much great talent.
If Bad Santa worked on its own merits, then Santa's intense profanity would fit his character. But it doesn't work, and the profanity seems to be just a lame attempt to pump some sales appeal into a box office dog. Bad Santa is slow, dull, and witless. How on earth has it received a 7.2 rating from IMDb users?
If Bad Santa worked on its own merits, then Santa's intense profanity would fit his character. But it doesn't work, and the profanity seems to be just a lame attempt to pump some sales appeal into a box office dog. Bad Santa is slow, dull, and witless. How on earth has it received a 7.2 rating from IMDb users?