The Film
"In this day and age, it's impossible to be a good mom."
It's true that being a mom is a tough job. There are meals, school meetings, weird tasks with posterboard, and tons of driving around involved. And don't even get me started on the piles and piles of laundry.
Of course, today's mom also works and/or volunteers. That's because it's not good enough to be a mom, but you have to be a supermom. At least, that's what viral videos, blogs, and Pinterest have taught us.
Those of us having a hard time keeping up will certainly appreciate Bad Moms. This is the latest raunch-com from writers/directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the duo behind The Hangover. It's weird that two guys would be so in touch with the plight of today's mom, but here we are. And while the party isn't nonstop this time around, there's still plenty of booze, bad behavior, and funny one-liners for everyone involved.
At the center of the Bad Moms movement is Amy (Mila Kunis), who still manages to look gorgeous even when covered in spaghetti and stress. After a particularly painful day, the revolts against the PTA's insane expectations for the school bake sale and teams up with mousy mother-of-four Kiki (Kristen Bell) and slutty single-mom Carla (a scene-stealing Kathryn Hahn). The three commiserate, drink, and even boost each other up. That's what moms do. They also work hard to bring down Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate), a crazy woman who treats the PTA like her own personal dictatorship.
This film certainly isn't perfect, but neither are most moms. Bad Moms exaggerates a lot of situations and characters for comedic effect, has an unnecessary love story (we don't always need that, you know), and sort of fizzles out toward the end. It also wastes Jada Pinkett Smith. Still, there's a lot that viewers will be able to relate to and laugh about here. Sure, a lot of moms won't be able to escape the daily grind with booze, bars, and Jay Hernandez (who appears as an uber-hot widower), but they should definitely make time to check out Bad Moms. It's pretty entertaining.
Still wondering if being bad can be good? Check out Matthew Passantino's theatrical review of Bad Moms.
The Picture
These Bad Moms have a pretty darn good image. The 2.40:1 transfer is really detailed on clothing, faces, and the surrounding scenery. Even in the film's slo-mo moments, everything is clear and looks good. However, the color is the real standout, especially the awesome red on that awesome Dodge Challenger. The rest of the palette is equally perky though, whether it's focused on perfect PTA outfits, school settings, or soccer fields.
The Sound
At first glance, it's probably a little shocking to see that Universal would give this type of film a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. After all, most comedies don't need or use those extra speakers. This one does, though -- a lot. When music appears in the film, this track will turn your room into a full-blown dance club. The grocery store and party scenes stand out in particular, but there are plenty of other atmospheric sounds to keep the speakers active throughout the movie. Of course, dialogue is really important here. It's still a comedy with a lot of good one-liners, which always come through clearly.
The Extras
These Bad Moms must have been too busy to put together a big slate of extras. Instead, the Blu-ray comes with 16.5 minutes of deleted scenes and a gag reel. The real highlight is "Cast & Mom Interviews," which puts a nifty spin on the typical cast chatter. Instead, it has about 24 minutes of the main cast and their moms talking about specific childhood memories.
Final Thoughts
It may not be a perfect movie, but Bad Moms has a pretty good Blu-ray. It's got a great image and a surprisingly good audio track. The extras section could certainly have a bit more heft to it, but the unique take on cast interviews sort of makes up for that. Plus, the movie is just a lot of fun. Of course, you don't have to be a mom to enjoy Bad Moms -- but it certainly doesn't hurt. It's very relatable and also very funny.
Product Details
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