Bad Santa

The problem is that the rewarding situation of a Santa cussing in front of a kid works only at the beginning, but you can’t carry a whole film on that and the plot soon starts to have the bitter taste of stereotype. The idea of dressing up as an elf and Santa to set the stage for a heist isn't bad, but the moralistic conclusion spoils a lot, and Thornton crawling holding a pink elephant is the height of screenwriting cringe. The film starts out controversial, only to end up completely conventional and unbelievable. A mix of wannabe controversy and moralistic message, maybe that's what the Americans want, the box office (60 million) was not bad at all for such a film. Otherwise, Thorton is traditionally superb. Fuck. (07/01/2005)

I don't think the eternally alcohol-laden "Santa", played by the irresistible Billy Bob Thornton, could have met a more worthy opponent than the perfect 21st century baroque angel, who absolutely does not bat an eyelash, come what may. In short, it is a very good comedy that does without pathos and in which even the constant vulgarities do not get old. It was produced by the Coen brothers - no wonder. (25/12/2015)

The brilliant Billy Bob Thornton pulls this controversial whirlwind of black and raunchy humour solely on his shoulders in such a brilliant manner that he manages to mask an inconsistent script that, as it progresses, flounders somewhere in a void between an uncompromising presentation of the 15+ rated word "fuck" and a tawdry family tale about a foul-mouthed Santa learning the true meaning of Christmas under the influence of not only whiskey, but more importantly, a kind little boy. We don't get bored and we are happy to accompany the central couple to the expected conclusion, but the opening "bad motherfucker" part unfortunately far outweighs the rest of the story... 75% (01/06/2012)

There are good jokes, it has quite a good direction, it's action-packed, and it has the great Billy Bob in the lead role. At first, you might despise him, but if you give it a chance, you'll realize how good his character is. Still, I'm not super excited about this movie. I had fun, but I wasn't blown away by this comedy. (27/12/2016)

A provocative, almost subversive, entertaining film about the redemption of an alcohol-soaked criminal, who, along with his accomplice, disguised as Santa Claus, takes advantage of the pre-Christmas shopping atmosphere for some down-to-earth enrichment. Its cynical humor, which undermines the traditional pre-Christmas sentiment of American family films, along with excellent casting led by Billy Bob Thornton, makes this comedy a highly above-average affair. Overall impression: 85%. It's just a pity that the director didn't find understanding from the producer for poking fun at religious rituals and the Christian focus of Christmas celebrations. The original version of the script reportedly contained much sharper humor from the main character. (16/06/2006)