BAD SANTA 2

OUT NOW / CERT 15 / 92 MINS DIRECTOR Mark Waters CAST Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox

A PHOTOCOPY Of a photocopy, this could perhaps be the nadir of the wave of decade-too-late comedy sequels. The plot, identical to that of the first film, pairs Billy Bob’s boozy misanthrope with his old partner and — the film’s sole invention — his mother on a Chicago charity heist on Christmas Eve. The talented people behind the first film clearly understood the mindset of a hateful drunk, but this feels like a lame imitation, with hardly any of the shock gags landing. It’s a pity, because Thornton will never find a better character to display his flair for scumbag intelligence, and his weird elegance among the degradation does persist, but there’s no doubt the inspired character deserves better. AL