- Tim Riley
- Posted On
'Bad Santa 2' offers profane humor; 'Savage Kingdom' on TV
BAD SANTA 2 (Rated R)
A television commercial for an Xfinity home entertainment system shows a family gathering for the holidays deciding almost immediately not to screen “Bad Santa” as one of their many viewing options.
That’s understandable given that the original “Bad Santa,” starring Billy Bob Thornton as a dissolute jolly fat man fully disengaged from the Christmas spirit, was a profane comedy highly unsuitable for family entertainment.
Now, 13 years later, along comes “Bad Santa 2,” which still has a surfeit of offensive humor that is to be expected when almost every character has a vocabulary that might make a sailor blush.
Billy Bob Thornton’s Willie Soke, even out of his dirty, soiled Kris Kringle costume, is a miserable person whose fondness for booze, women and larceny knows no bounds.
The opening scene shows Willie distracted by the sight of a buxom young mother breastfeeding before plowing a Mustang convertible into a valet stand. You know the car is stolen even before he flees the scene.
Still living in Phoenix, Willie can’t shake child-like Thurman (Brett Kelly), now a young adult but still delusional like he was 13 years ago, who still follows him around because he has no family of his own. No wonder then that Willie attempts to commit suicide by putting his head in an electric stove.
Things don’t get any better when his old backstabbing accomplice Marcus (Tony Cox) recruits him for a big heist in Chicago.
Instead of robbing a shopping mall, Willie and Marcus team up with Willie’s estranged criminal mother, Sunny Soke (Kathy Bates), the ringleader of a plan to rob a children’s charity on Christmas Eve.
Not only is Kathy Bates the criminal mastermind, but she practically steals the show with her loudmouth behavior and her ability to transform from a tattooed biker chick with a dark, cold heart into the con artist disguise of a prim and proper old lady.
As you can expect, complications always arise during the execution of the plan, as Willie can’t help but screw things up. Heck, he even seduces the charity founder’s sexy wife (Christina Hendricks), a recovering alcoholic.
The problem with “Bad Santa 2,” other than the raunchy humor and political incorrectness that may go too far, is that it lacks the spark of ingenuity of the original. And yet there is something perversely funny about Billy Bob Thornton as an unlikeable curmudgeon.
In many respects, “Bad Santa 2” is similar to “The Hangover 2” as it compares to “The Hangover,” in that both sequels are not altogether unsatisfying to the fans of the original. I would suggest not going for a third chapter.
TV Corner: 'Savage Kingdom' on Nat Geo WILD
The Nat Geo WILD cable channel is going all out with a three-part global miniseries event with “Savage Kingdom,” an unflinching look at five animal clans pitted against each other during a deadly drought in remote Botswana.
“Unflinching” seems to be the operative word for this nature series, which is narrated in deadly serious tone by Charles Dance, who appropriately had the role of Tywin Lannister on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
“Savage Kingdom” marks a step forward in wildlife filmmaking by playing more like a scripted drama than a nature documentary. Nevertheless, the series is an up-close look at the vicious fight for survival in the animal kingdom.
This series is no Disney version of the circle of life, even though the primary animals in focus have been named like characters in “The Lion King.”
In the “Clash of Queens” episode, the lion Matsumi has ascended the throne to become Queen of the Marsh Pride.
Nat Geo WILD is pushing this series as having a parallel between the battle for power in George R.R. Martin’s fictional world of “Game of Thrones” and the brutal power struggles on the African savanna.
Queen Matsumi is seen leaving the pride in order to give birth to two cubs. Lions can be volatile and brutal bedfellows, and Matsumi’s king and chief protector, Sekekama, gives no second chances to his enemies, not even his own family.
When Matsumi goes into hiding, Charles Dance, with a sense of dread in his voice, intones that “enemies are closing in from all sides.” Indeed, it gets real ugly when Matsumi’s cubs are abducted by her murderous family.
Even for the most dedicated aficionado of wildlife storytelling, “Savage Kingdom” is almost an endurance test. But the payoff comes from the incredible cinematography that brilliantly captures what even a big game hunter would be unlikely to see on an African safari.
Episodes of “Savage Kingdom” focus on a variety of the royal families that also consist of leopards, hyenas and wild dogs. Each episode is told from one predator’s point of view, resulting in dramatic storytelling that is more drama than documentary.
Another interesting character is Saba the leopard, a solitary killer without rival, constantly on the prowl. Saba is a spectacular and resourceful hunter who haunts the trees and hills in the heart of the realm.
“Savage Kingdom” is so violent and bloody that each episode is preceded with a warning that the footage may not be suitable for family viewing. There’s plenty of heartbreak in the animal kingdom.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.