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Bad Words Review

For first time director Bateman, this was a good way to start.

By FilmSnob Reviews.comPublished 7 years ago 2 min read
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Title: Bad WordsMPAA Rating: RDirector: Jason BatemanStarring: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan ChandRuntime: 1 hr 28 mins

What It Is: Guy Trilby is 40 years old. So why in the (expletive) is he entering the Columbus, Ohio regional spelling bee? Simple. So he can win it and go to nationals. Now, why the (expletive) would he wanna win nationals? Well, that’s the part we’re trying to figure out. With his sponsor slash whatever she is to him privately Jenny Widgeon along for the ride, we watch as Guy spells and schemes his way into nationals and drives the head of the spelling bee Dr. Deagan (Allison Janney) insane. All the while he is bothered (often so) by fellow contestant and certified loner Chaitanya Chopra. Chai and Guy (that’s got a nice rhythm to it) begin an unlikely partnership, one that leads to some ridiculousness occurring everywhere.

What We Think: For first time director Jason Bateman, this was a good way to start. It wasn’t a film that needed a technical touch. What it required was someone who's funny, and Bateman certainly is that. There are some great laughs here, particularly between Chand and Bateman. However Hahn’s Widgeon isn’t fully fleshed out, and occasionally the plot tends to drift too much, too many times. Its overindulgence in the plot isn’t something fit for comedy fodder, and the emotional parts too often seem contrived. However, the laughs are there, and it's a pre-summer comedy that’s as much as you can ask for it.

Our Grade: C,While it misses in some degrees, and a lot of the best jokes are in the trailer, the film at least has laughs. Which is more than I can say for the upcoming slate of pre-summer comedies (I’m lookin' at you, Haunted House 2). Bateman being a freshman behind the lens isn’t even discernible. If you want an hour and a half of laughs without having to look too much into the film, this will do just that. But if you want a character study of an unlikable guy you’ll get only attempts at that, but that’s mostly just time filler between the next set piece.

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About the Creator

FilmSnob Reviews.com

Constantly standing on the edge of Summer and always waiting for the next big thing. I love film so let's talk about some moving pictures yeah?

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