Bad Moms 2 – A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)

Directed by: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore | 104 minutes | adventure, comedy | Actors: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Cheryl Hines, Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon, Jay Hernandez, Justin Hartley, Peter Gallagher, Oona Laurence, Emjay Anthony, Lyle Brocato, Wanda Sykes, Christina Applegate, Cade Mansfield Cooksey, Ariana Greenblatt , Jacks Dean, Madison Muffley, Kenny Go

If the American comedy ‘Bad Moms’ (2016) taught us anything, it’s that motherhood is hell and it’s impossible to keep all the balls in the air. Nothing new under the sun for most mothers in the Netherlands. The loyal viewer of the hit series ‘De Luizenmoeder’ – and there were many! – also know that the schoolyard is a snake pit, with ‘Queen Bee’ class mothers who seem to have it all together and look down on any mother who shows the slightest glimmer of humanity. The struggle that Mila Kunis and her friends went through in ‘Bad Moms’ is recognizable for many women. Who doesn’t dream of just letting things go and choosing for yourself instead of always effacing yourself? Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn went completely crazy, because of course there must be something to laugh about. Only a year and a half after ‘Bad Moms’ there was already a sequel, which was released in the Netherlands under the unoriginal title ‘Bad Moms 2’ (2017), but which is called ‘A Bad Moms Christmas’ in the US and many other countries. . As the title suggests, this time the bad moms throw themselves into the most stressful event of the year for moms—at least for Americans: Christmas.

A beautiful tree, decorating the house, preparing Christmas dinner and getting presents; it’s not all for Amy (Mila Kunis). Because she wants to give her children the ‘best Christmas ever’. Since she got rid of her untrustworthy husband, she takes care of her two children alone, though she has a happy relationship with divorced father of one daughter, Jesse (Jay Hernandez). Actually, she would like to take it easy for a year, but those plans come to nothing when her mother Ruth (Christine Baranski) suddenly shows up at the door. Ruth is the snobbish kind, always striving for perfection. She turns her nose up at the snacks that Amy has prepared with great care. And that tree is a mockery. Before Amy knows it, Ruth has completely taken over the reins and plans a high-class gala to impress the outside world. At her daughter’s house! Amy’s friends Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) are in the same boat, even though their mothers are very different types. Kiki’s mother Sandy (Cheryl Hines) wants so much to look like and be with her daughter that it takes on psychopathic forms. And Isis (Susan Sarandon), Carla’s mother, is a flutter, who is more often than not there and only visits her daughter when she needs money. Disappointed by the arrival of their mothers, the three friends decide to take matters into their own hands. But that’s easier said than done.

‘Bad Moms 2’ is a quintessential sequel that is purely made to make a quick buck. The story is wafer thin and predictable and the humor is often too flat for words. It’s part and parcel of these kind of party comedies, that underpants fun, but that doesn’t mean writers/directors Josh Lucas and Scott Moore can get away with it all. Just like in the first part, Hahn has the funniest part, but after two jokes about waxing genitals, we’ve seen it. The romantic subplot surrounding Carla and a male stripper (Justin Hartley) is a sad low. Much funnier – because less vulgar and much sharper – is Baranski as the über-perfectionist Ruth, who orders her daughter around in a very blunt way. Peter Gallagher as her faithful husband keeps bumping after it, but does play a crucial role in the transition from fun and craziness to an (attempt at) a deeper layer. Ruth can’t help it that she is the way she is, and the disagreements are settled in a sweet scene in a church. This melodrama contrasts sharply with the crude jokes from the first half of the film and feels unreal. Even though we have actresses of Susan Sarandon’s level (what the hell is she doing in this movie?), a poorly written script is still a poorly written script.

‘Bad Moms 2’ is a no-brainer in every way. The humor is cheap, the script is rushed and the talents of the actors are wasted. Why Amy, Kiki and Carla didn’t kick out their annoying mothers much earlier is a mystery that haunts us for over an hour and a half. An hour and a half of wasted energy. Let’s hope the ‘Bad Moms’ twerk is over and they can get back to doing things that really matter.