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 ad Santa" probably marks the first time a
major Hollywood film was released on DVD with the alternate version
as the primary version, and the regular version (i.e. the one shown in
theaters) making up the "oh by the way, you might also want to get
this" alternate version. And if that last sentence makes any sense to
you, then you've been visiting Nixflix.com for way too long.
"Bad Santa" stars Billy Bob Thornton
("Monster's Ball") as Willie, the titular not-so Jolly gift
giver, who is every bit as rude, crude, and vulgar as you'd expect a
career low-life ex-convict to be. Willie's scam has him playing a mall
Santa, with his dwarf-in-crime partner Marcus (Tony Cox) playing his
"elf" helper. The duo targets a mall every season, waiting until
the right time to rob the place. It appears that the only reason Marcus
puts up with Willie's exasperating faults is because the other criminal is
an impressive safecracker -- that is, when he's not drunk.
As the film opens, the duo has cleaned out yet
another mall, only to part company until next Christmas, when they can ply
their scam all over again. The next year finds the duo in Phoenix, where
they encounter unexpected obstacles in a mall administrator played by John
Ritter and comedian Bernie Mac as the mall's head of security. As the
criminals plot their crime, they are forced to work the Santa lines, where
Willie meets a lonely fat kid (Brett Kelly) whose persistent appearance in
Willie's life makes him question the road he's taken. Also, he falls in
lust with Sue (Lauren Graham), a happy-go-lucky bartender with a Santa
fetish.
Directed by Terry Zwigoff ("Ghost
World"), "Bad Santa" is pretty damn funny. There's
rarely a dull minute and the film makes use of every single second of its
90-plus minute running time to lob gag after gag at the audience. More
often than not the jokes are all winners, with enough crude bathroom humor
and offscreen sex to make it deservedly not for anyone under 17. As
low-life Willie, Billy Bob Thornton curses his way through the movie,
dropping the "F" and "S" bombs as if he's afraid he
might die if he stops using them once every other word. Seriously folks,
this is one vulgar movie.
Although obviously made for adults, I don't doubt
even some adults may find "Bad Santa" to be offensive,
especially its endless stream of vulgar language around and directed at
the film's young cast, especially Brett Kelly. Speaking of which, has
there ever been a more adorable kid than Kelly? Somewhat pitiful but all
loveable, the unnamed Kid's persistent nature and his endless questions on
the most minor points are what constitute the heart and soul of "Bad
Santa". It's not going overboard to praise the work of young Kelly,
whose understated and smart performance rings true, even if the situations
he finds himself in can only exist in movies.
Aside from its generous amount of sleaze, "Bad
Santa" will also be known as the last movie where the late John
Ritter appears in. Perhaps owing to Ritter's sudden death, it's strange to
note that Ritter's character abruptly disappears from the movie at around
the midway point. Missing from the entire second half, Ritter is dearly
missed as the strangely jittery Bob Chipeska. Less successful is Bernie
Mac, whose character is tasked with investigating the mall's drunken
Santa. Mac's lack of impact, despite a Third Act twist, is probably owed
to his lack of screentime.
As a comedy, "Bad Santa" has all the bases
covered. Adult-themed gags, the lowest common denominator bathroom humor,
and of course the complete annihilation of a great Western icon.
Surprisingly, "Santa" also works as a family film. Granted, one
isn't used to seeing an adult use an endless string of four-letter words
at a kid in your average family fare, but when all is said and done you
can't deny that "Bad Santa" has, under all its vulgarity and
crass sexual gags, its heart in the right place. And the fact that it's
downright hilarious doesn't hurt either.
It's no surprise that the man who made all this work
is Terry Zwigoff, last responsible for the smart and insightful coming of
age comedy/drama "Ghost World". Like that other film, Zwigoff
has the tone just right in "Bad Santa", coaxing an excellent
performance out of young Brett Kelly along the way. Alas, one would have
liked to see more of the delightful Lauren Graham, who seems to only
appear every now and then to plug up loose plot points. Then again, a
little bit of Lauren Graham is better than no Lauren Graham, so I suppose
one shouldn't really complain.
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