Movie review
Bad Santa bad for children
by Rawly Bransom, Sports Editor

   Bad language, midgets, snot and all-around bad attitudes are in store for movie goers this Christmas with a heaping helping of laughter mixed in.
   The first thing you must know about Bad Santa is that in no way should any child ever be allowed to even see the theater that is showing this, movie, let alone the movie itself.
   Bad Santa, written by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, was directed by Terry Zwigoff.
   Bad Santa is rated a very strong R for overt sexual content, language that would make a sailor blush and some violence.
   Billy Bob Thornton stars as Willie T. Soke, an alcohol-soaked, foul-mouthed and overly aggressive thief who hates himself and everyone else around him.
   Each year Soke must play Santa while his partner in crime plays an elf since he is only three feet tall.
   After their final day at the mall, they rob it blind and make off with the goods with no one the wiser.
   Bad Santa also stars Bernie Mac as the head of mall security Gin Slagel, Bret Kelly as the kid (and that is all they refer to him as) and Lauren Graham as Sue aka Mrs. Santa’s Sister (sorry, I only have so much to work with).
   Bad Santa is also John Ritter’s last movie performance as the meek and quiet mall manager.
   Sadly, the role was very limited and in no way does justice to his legacy.
   Remember, any parents who let their children see Bad Santa should have child protective services remove the children from their home.
   Some children and even young teenagers may think the movie is okay to see just because it has the word Santa in the title. Please don’t allow this.
   Bad Santa is full of funny moments, and Billy Bob Thornton plays his role perfectly.
   I am usually not a Thornton fan, but no one else in Hollywood could have pulled the role off so flawlessly. Most of the remaining characters fall short of what they could be. Even the kid, as strange and off as he is, never gets a chance to shine. To say Thornton carries this movie is an understatement.
   Even so Bad Santa does draw some very off-color laughs and at one point had me all but falling out of my seat.
   You’ll probably hear a lot of critics tell you how awful this movie is, and from an artistic and maybe even a moral standpoint it is.
   However, anyone who enjoys off-colored jokes and doesn’t mind excessive use of the f-bomb or g.d. will enjoy it.
   Just remember: let the kids go to another movie when you go to see this one, please!