This is an enjoyable film and will entertain the viewer on a slow Sunday afternoon. It is let down by two main drawbacks: the rating, preventing it from using more realistic language, and the hopeless nature of the basic premise.
The rating first: B.B.T. has done simply outstanding work as a down-on-his-luck, self-loathing drunkard. His efforts in "Bad Santa," for example, represent some of the finest acting ever put on film in Hollywood history. Regettably, in this film his talent and his range are limited by the censors; he neither uses the correct language nor the four-letter-word-laden expressions we have all come to love and enjoy. Anyone naive enough to think this sort of censorship will actually "protect" children has probably not paid attention at the local playground. Without the profanity and vulgarity that is natural to 12-year-olds, the film simply comes across as fake, and, ironically, insulting...
The second flaw is the premise. The film focuses on the children, and this choice turns out to be a terrible mistake. Like most children, the ones here actually have far less to offer society than the anti-hero, their coach. Though a drunk, the coach can at least make his own way in the world and has a job, albeit not a glamorous one. In contrast, only one of the children is gainfully employed (the female -- is this another example of political correctness, I wonder?).
On the other hand, this is a fun film. Some scenes drag on, like the training scenes and the date scene at the skate park; both were predictable and bordered on pandering. Still, I give this 7 out of 10. If only it had more profanity, more drinking (see Badder Santa, the unrated DVD!), and less hopeless PC efforts to redeem children (Why?!) this could be an 8 or even an 8.5.
The rating first: B.B.T. has done simply outstanding work as a down-on-his-luck, self-loathing drunkard. His efforts in "Bad Santa," for example, represent some of the finest acting ever put on film in Hollywood history. Regettably, in this film his talent and his range are limited by the censors; he neither uses the correct language nor the four-letter-word-laden expressions we have all come to love and enjoy. Anyone naive enough to think this sort of censorship will actually "protect" children has probably not paid attention at the local playground. Without the profanity and vulgarity that is natural to 12-year-olds, the film simply comes across as fake, and, ironically, insulting...
The second flaw is the premise. The film focuses on the children, and this choice turns out to be a terrible mistake. Like most children, the ones here actually have far less to offer society than the anti-hero, their coach. Though a drunk, the coach can at least make his own way in the world and has a job, albeit not a glamorous one. In contrast, only one of the children is gainfully employed (the female -- is this another example of political correctness, I wonder?).
On the other hand, this is a fun film. Some scenes drag on, like the training scenes and the date scene at the skate park; both were predictable and bordered on pandering. Still, I give this 7 out of 10. If only it had more profanity, more drinking (see Badder Santa, the unrated DVD!), and less hopeless PC efforts to redeem children (Why?!) this could be an 8 or even an 8.5.
