A Yuletide mess unfolds in a witless comedy drama
Clearly aiming to cash in on the (undeserved) success of last year’s Bad Moms, this slapdash sequel is even more dispiriting.
With its flimsy plot and risqué jokes, it’s not surprising that A Bad Moms Christmas has been rushed into release a full six weeks before the Yuletide holiday, when more appropriate family-friendly fare is sure to be showcased.
Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and the irrepressible Kathryn Hahn reunite in their roles of harassed Chicagobased mothers trying to navigate the maze of ‘proper parenting’.
As if the prospect of planning a perfect Christmas for their children wasn’t enough, they must also contend with the demands of their own overbearing mothers, who drop in unannounced.
Cue raunchy encounters — those involving a male stripper are especially gross — ludicrous situations (a camel walks by, twice, for no discernible reason) and plenty of slow-motion monta- ges.
Throughout, the dialogue is littered with expletives, many of which are uttered by very young children.
And for all that, the escalating conflicts are resolved in sappy seasonal style.
Despite the best efforts of Hahn (as a sassy spa attendant) and Susan Sarandon (as her hipster mother), this purported female-centric comedy is a witless mess.