Review of Bad Santa

This holiday dark comedy stars Billy Bob Thornton as an alcoholic bitter & depress criminal Willie Stokes who works with his dwarf assistant Marcus Skidmore (Tony Cox) as Mall Santa in order to gain access to rob the mall on Christmas Eve. However they soon run into trouble when Strokes starts to rethink his life after befriending a naive innocent child, Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly) who assumes Willie is really the real jolly St. Nick. Without spoiling the flick directed by Terry Zwigoff too much. With extreme violent, excessive profanity, sexual innuendo and lots of drug use, this film is probably not the best Christmas flick to show to children during the holiday season. It's the polar opposite, suitable only for adult viewers. Anybody with eyes can see that with the very obvious title. Bad Santa means Bad Santa. Thornton really does live up to the job title with his repulsive foul mouthed, drunk & promiscuity character even if it seems like he's not acting much different than what he does in real life in the eyes of the public. In truth at the time while Thornton does struggles with liquor and was genuinely intoxicated during some of scenes. One thing he did take seriously was his health toward food. He follow a very strict vegan diet and avoided junk food as he is allergic to wheat and dairy. Hints why Stokes is mostly seen eating salad in the film. While it might seem out of character for the criminal not consume fatty foods. Thornton does makes the salad eating works with spitting out greens when yelling at people. I never once saw a person look so ugly looking when chomping on the stuff. Nevertheless this role gave him the persona of the wasted up antihero that he would later be typecast as in films such as 2005 'Bad News Bear'. Like that, this movie also paint his character enough with decent qualities so that the audience wouldn't be turn off by the individual's mostly selfish offensive actions and mental health issues. Under Dimension Films, with Glenn Ficarra and John Requa writing the screenplay, they made Stokes into a somewhat of a likeable character by having him interact more with Thurman in a fatherly matter than the directors or the producers the Coen Brother's version of the script. It really help the movie a lot. The on-screen chemistry between Kelly and Thornton was surprising very good. The way Thurman doesn't reacted to Strokes negative bellowing while keeping his innocent dumb founded look is pretty damn funny. Kelly was an amazing child actor. That's why the original version is a lot better than the Director's cut or the Unrated Version that focus too much on several pointless scenes of non-needed for the plot Lauren Tom character scouting the stores for loot or offensive jokes that doesn't land like the out of the blue parking lot attacked by a Hindustani hoodlum played by Ajay Naidu. Regardless in nearly all versions, the movie does take a little bit too long to establish Stokes backstory. Honestly did we need the opening monologue nor those vacations scenes in Miami, Florida? It felt out of place and not needed, seeing how things get repeated by Marcus quite often about his troubles. Those moments felt like filler. Nevertheless, I felt the same way with the relationship Strokes had with the nympho bartender Sue (Lauren Graham). It didn't really led much to anything. Also the relationship was really hard to believe as the character of Willie is completely repulsive and doesn't really look like Santa. Plus, its' not like he's loyal to her. He still sleeps around. Regardless, the actress did a good job with her limited one dimensional pixie maniac girl dream girl role. As for Strokes relationship with Marcus. I found Cox & Thornton to have great chemistry as partners in crime. The way Cox reaction in shock and disgust of Willie's actions felt real. Even with his intense scenes with Bernie Mac character of Gin Slagel Mall Security seem genuine. I love that moment when Gin whispers 'half'. I get goosebumps every time. Bernie Mac was equally as impressive. He does seem intimidating during the first half. I just wish the screenwriters didn't make him look like an idiot in the last part of the film because it killed compelling smart top of his game look that Mac was really reaching for in the beginning. As for John Ritter as the mall's general manager Mr. Chipeska. He shines as the upright prissy highly anxious foil to the duo's schemes. It's just sad that Ritter died, just a few months after taking this role. Glad to see that this film was dedicated to the actor. I also did that both the beginning and end play Chopin's "Nocturne'. It sounds so peaceful after all the chaotic. Overall: This movie found just the right tone for its dark, vulgar humor that its 2016 sequel fail to do. There's no question that some viewers will still find 'Bad Santa' to crude and irreverent. But while some might be shocked and disgusted, others will find themselves laughing all the way through this unconventional Christmas tale. For those like me that like it. I say go fix some sandwiches & see this movie. This is one St. Nick that doesn't deserves to be eternally banished to the icy nether regions of the North Pole.