A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
Much like School Of Rock, Bad Santa salvages a tired, paint-by-numbers formula by resisting it every step of the way, stubbornly refusing to stop its juvenile fun until the last possible moment.
– Scott Tobias,
AV Club,
5 Dec 2013
fresh:
Best of all, it plugs into -- and electrifies -- the mostly unacknowledged grimness that lies just beneath our holiday cheer.
– Richard Schickel,
TIME Magazine,
5 Dec 2013
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Even when the film threatens to turn feel-good, it thankfully resists the urge.
– Christy Lemire,
Associated Press,
5 Dec 2013
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Once the rude shock of a profane Claus wears off, there's not really much to do except await the next outrageous remark.
– Michael Agger,
New Yorker,
5 Dec 2013
fresh:
An antidote to forced holiday cheer, this scabrously funny misanthropic comedy is not for the whole family.