MovieChat Forums > Bad Santa 2 (2016) Discussion > Some funny moments, but not even close t...

Some funny moments, but not even close to being as good as the first

posted 17 days ago by Shadowfan300 (7)
1 reply | jump to latest

I watched this last night after avoiding it because I had heard so many bad things about it. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it certainly wasn't anywhere near as good as the first. It had some funny moments and Billy Bob was great back in the role, but it had too many issues:

- They should have had a better director or the original return. You could really tell the movie was missing something without the ascetic of the original. Felt too clean and like a studio comedy the way it looked.

- The humor was not as well written or clever as the first. I know the first was a raunchy movie, but almost all of the humor here just relied on characters swearing or saying something nasty for a cheap laugh.

- The Thurman character does not work as an adult. His parts felt way too forced. Christina Hendricks character was really annoying as well.

- Too much of the plot was just recycled form the first movie. Right up to having Willy get betrayed by Tony Cox again at the end.

[–] moose245 (26) 15 days ago

I rewatched this movie today and I think I like it a bit more than you do given your comments. It's no masterpiece, but I think it actually holds up to the original in terms of quality. I'll give my comments on your prior points and, if you want, we can talk more about problems you have with the second over the first.

- I do not get your assertion about needing a 'better director' or the film looking 'too clean.' A good portion of the first film either took place in the mall or 'the kid's' house (which was absolutely pristine.) No, I disagree and believe your opinion is distorted; both films look similar in terms of aesthetics.

- Majority of the first film was swearing and saying something nasty for a cheap laugh. (e.g. performance!? You mean sexual? you saying there is something wrong with my fuck stick!?) No, if anything I felt the humor didn't differentiate itself enough from the first to stand out in the second film. Again, I disagree and believe your opinion is distorted, it clearly does not take the dialogue of the first film into account.

- Thurman is the core of the film. I can't say you should like him, and I understand why you might find him annoying, but without him Willie would not have made any progress as a character. In other words, we would not have had a story if not for Thurman. I, personally, like the Thurman character and so his return in this film was very much welcomed. I will say, though, Thurman's part in this film was very similar to his part in the first film.

- There was quite a bit of the plot recycled from the last film. I agree with you on this point. Marcus was exactly the same as the last film. Everything about the heist felt recycled from the first film.