Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie Soke teams up with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is chubby and cheery Thurman Merman, a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie's sliver of humanity. Issues arise when the pair are joined by Willie's horror story of a mother, who raises the bar for the gang's ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior.
Bad Santa 2 is a largely derivative sequel that recycles the irreverent, crude humor of its predecessor without adding meaningful new dimensions. The plot is formulaic — a heist with dysfunctional criminals — and the mother character, while played with commitment by Kathy Bates, doesn't elevate the tired material. Acting is a modest bright spot with Billy Bob Thornton still embodying Willie's misanthropic charm and Bates bringing energy, but the ensemble can't overcome the weak script. Cinematography is functional and unremarkable, offering nothing visually distinctive for what is essentially a raunchy holiday comedy. Novelty is very low — it retreads the original's shock-comedy formula without a fresh angle, making it feel like a pale imitation. The ending resolves predictably with Willie's grudging redemption arc, mirroring the first film's conclusion without earning the sentiment.