The Bad Moms tackle holiday prep burn-out, celebrate Christmas their way

 

Right away, overwhelming stress Amy (Mila Kunis) has can be felt as she prepares for Christmas. It’s a mix of wanting to enjoy that time of year – but how, with so many things on her to-do list? I love how she simply gives up on wrapping one gift and tosses it over her shoulder, having too much struggle getting it to look perfect. One thing’s for sure in the hectic moments of getting ready for holiday season. Heart-melting and reminding me of a former crush, Jessie (Jay Hernandez) is so sweet, supportive and helpful every step of the way. Amy then gets that nightmare call and her reaction hints at a battle looming ahead.

Her friends Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) have their own mom-induced surprises for the holidays. Much like Amy and her friends, their respective moms have a variety of personalities that from one generation to another bring about clashes. For Amy, it’s her relaxed style vs. her mom Ruth’s (Christine Baranski) must-be-the-best style of celebrating. Kiki wants distance from her mom Sandy (Cheryl Hines), whose closeness breaks too many boundaries. Isis (Susan Sarandon) is the opposite, not present enough in Carla and her son Jaxon’s (Cade Cooksey) lives.

As the story goes on, it mirrors the first “Bad Moms” in that Amy’s trio find cause to rebel against in the seasonal festivities. They sit together, share their troubles with one another and party on throughout the mall. Along the way, the friends drew others into their wild shopping spree. It helped loosened them up until the next obstacle in holiday prep time.

When it comes to Christmas decorating, Ruth is both severely traditional and over-the-top in a way that Amy definitely finds tacky. Her mom is an awful stress-inducer in a number of other ways. She nags at Amy, treats Jessie in a brush-off manner and says socially inappropriate things. Trying to downplay it all is Amy’s much more relaxed dad, Hank (Peter Gallagher).

Before seeing this movie, the two generations of moms was interesting to me because of how they were matched up. Kiki and Sandy were similar in appearance. Carla and Isis mirrored each other in wild personality and style. Yet Amy and Ruth don’t look alike and their characters are vastly different, building up their clashes. Kiki’s mom relationship was weird; Carla’s was sad. In my opinion, Amy had the worst trouble brewing with her mom. So it complimented the story that she had a father whose personality was closer to her own.

With everyone gathered at a local SkyZone, most of the adults forget their cares and stress-triggering issues. All except for Ruth; she ends up in a challenge after Amy’s rebellious decision to enjoy a laughter-filled family-friendly night. What happened to Ruth and the slo-mo result of that moment was hilarious. Kiki making a fight-ready pose, combined with the sound and more slo-mo was another favorite scene of the characters on their fun night out. As they had a good time at SkyZone, I remembered Amy as she sped around in her ex-husband’s cool red classic wheels in the first “Bad Moms.” I guess it was kept off of the wintry roads this time.

The problem Kiki has with her mom sure would inspire her to appear tough and strong, which she has to be emotionally. Sandy keeps laying on guilt-trips whenever her daughter tries to explain that boundaries must be set between them. Kiki simply wants her mom to understand the importance of an adult life that doesn’t include such an in-her-face parent. Her husband Kent (Lyle Brocato) has already been made to feel very awkward as a result of Sandy’s overbearing desire to be around all the time. It seemed as though Kiki and her mom needed that therapy meeting with Dr. Karl (Wanda Sykes) more than Amy and her husband did in the previous movie.

In a little mother-daughter bonding moment, Carla hinted to her mom that she’s lonely, yet tries to joke about it. Isis appears to sense how her daughter truly feels. Despite not being around much in recent years, she shows concern in her expression. Of course, as a non-conventional mom, Isis does something totally unexpected of a parent and it lightens up the sad moment. It isn’t long before Carla’s heart is lit up. She meets Ty (Justin Hartley) and wow, look at this guy! I love how they just click right away, understanding each other; new love found so easily.

During the stripping Santa scene, I thought Carla was going to have a new and rather awkward problem with her wild mom. She looked as if trying to keep herself from simmering at the antics unfolding before her eyes. But a mishap takes place, leading to another dilemma for the newly lovestruck bad mom. I could feel for Carla as her gaze follows Ty, that expression of longing for him when he has to leave after such brief time together.

When Amy tells her mom how it’s gonna be this Christmas – her house, her way – the result makes for a nice twist to come later on. Ruth, as rigid as she was, reacts in such a way that had me thinking she was plotting. But what? Of course, Amy just gets dragged in to more unwanted over-the-top Christmas activities against her laid-back plans. She finds herself singing Christmas Carols throughout the neighborhood and then, surprise! An old rival, Gwendolyn, (Christina Applegate) answers the doorbell at one house. How will Amy ever live that moment down?

Taking in an over-decorated house and a party with entertainment including Kenny G playing saxophone, the big battle is on. Amy’s fight with her mom was insane and hilarious as Ruth is yelling out claims about why various decor pieces are extra special. It made no difference to Amy where they came from or what made them significant. That scene leads to another moment similar to the first “Bad Moms” movie, as Amy’s kids are upset at the turn of events. Jane (Oona Laurence) is especially hurt by this family upheaval, while Dylan (Emjay Anthony) showed disappointment. Kiki and Carla also have their mom troubles, along with scenes that reflect stress from not having better relationships. A nice transition follows in which Ruth, Sandy and Isis come together, although still at odds over personalities and it’s hard to tell if they’ll end up close friends.

As things get patched up for everyone, Christmas dinner brings a welcomed adult surprise for someone. Jessie’s daughter, Lori (Ariana Greenblatt) delivers one of those “the things kids say” lines about what she’s too young to understand, as she did in an earlier scene. It reminded me of a famous quote from a long-time favorite Christmas movie, similar language in different context blurted out by a young kid. Anyway, everything is now cheery and bright in Amy’s world of family and friends.

In the end, the older generation of moms all strut out on their way to an earlier suggested ladies vacation. I couldn’t help but imagine what’s to come. It had the feel of a cliffhanger and that they’d have their own crazy adventure. What about Amy, Kiki and Carla? I’d love to see those friends again, as well as their love interests. If another sequel came along, what would be next for Amy and Jessie’s relationship and that of Carla and Ty? What hilarious scenarios would happen? After many laughs throughout this movie, its ending credits brought even more fun as the cast goofed around and danced in a wintry setting. I can’t wait to see this again when it’s available in stores.

Partying, rebelling against PTA rules in “Bad Moms”

My best friend and I watched “Bad Moms” together and loved it as a great laugh-out-loud time with the gals type of movie. Neither of us is a parent, however we related to the overall theme of rebelling against an overbearing system. For example, our giggling at others’ wild behavior in class would only further annoy a strict teacher. In the movie’s case, it’s Amy (Mila Kunis) against the PTA where her kids attend school. But it’s not just the PTA as one entity; its leader, Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate) is a real stickler for rules. She is “Queen Bee” among her two sidekick mom friends, Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo).

What with all the running around Amy does and never catching up, then an added problem from her husband, it’s no wonder she hits a breaking point. This one particular bad day she’s having only seems as though it can’t possibly get any worse for her. Luckily, she finds support in two other moms who’ve had it up to here, Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and Kiki (Kristen Bell). Together, they let loose, leaving their mom troubles in the dust.

One of my favorite moments in newly bad mom Amy is when she uncovers the red hot rod in the driveway. Charging through town, she digs her cool wheels. With my red Camaro, hands-down my favorite sporty car no matter what year, I felt like the onscreen bad mom. I also love the latest Dodge Challenger and possibly what Amy speeds around in is an older model. Either way, it’s an awesome ride and is perfect for her good-to-bad mom transformation.

Carla is also great as bad-mom inspiration for Amy’s new image. She’s already on the wild side and the more straight-laced moms despise her. This makes her hands-down the most comical of the anti-PTA trio. Timid Kiki sees a new light as she hangs out with her rebellious friends. The three of them are all fed up with perfect-image parenting; it brings them together as an awesome team. Not only for their support system, but for laughs and fun times as they let go of stress.

Then there is love interest, Jessie (Jay Hernandez) and…Wow! He sure looked a lot like a guy I once had a crush on; my jaw dropped! As Amy and her friends act wild, go out on the town, party, etc., I felt as though I was rooting for her and Jessie. She tries to meet other guys, yet things don’t quite click. It’s hilarious as various attempts falter for her in the bar scene, after being out of practice with dating. I could relate in the sense that I wasn’t easily able to talk to my crush. Amy even had an awkward moment with gorgeous Jessie.

Rivalry between Amy and Gwendolyn add to the humor, heating up as the snobby PTA mom goes low to hold on to her rank. The only way to stop her is to go against her in a more official way, assisted by Carla and Kiki. Their antics draw in other moms who want to escape from parenting and just party hard.

Whether at a grocery store, in a bar or at Amy’s house, the gals’ wild ways kept my best friend and I laughing to the end. An unexpected twist involving Gwendolyn was a nice touch that made us wonder where everyone’s story would go next. I also wanted to know what becomes of Amy and Jessie’s relationship, should a sequel come along.

One more enjoyable element throughout this comedic movie was its soundtrack of jumping party songs. They were must-haves to buy on iTunes.

If you saw “Bad Moms,” what were some of your favorite or most relatable moments from the movie? Who was your favorite character?

A magical new favorite in “Oz: The Great and Powerful”

I remember when I first heard that a new Wizard of Oz movie was in the works, I wasn’t sure what I’d think of it.  This was before any news of the casting and other details, so I wondered if the old favorite was going to be done as a remake.  Of course, that doesn’t always lead to an equally great movie in many movie-goers’ opinions.

However, as time went on, it turned out that the new Oz movie would be a backstory to the wizard character.  I couldn’t wait to see it; for starters, the special effects in the trailers looked amazing and that’s an element I love in many movies.  Plus, Sam Raimi is one of my favorite directors and the main cast include some of my favorites in acting.  With those factors, “Oz: The Great and Powerful” became a must-see.

When the 3-D trend became really popular in recent years, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it.  But it depends on the film and what this technology brought out, scene by scene.  In “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” 3-D adds to the vibrant world in which the wizard finds himself after the hot air balloon is whisked into a twister.  Just as Dorothy did in “The Wizard of Oz,” the wizard this time around starts out in a vintage-look world of Kansas.

After his badly-ending performance in Kansas, Oz receives a visitor who talks of a goodness in his heart.  It is Annie (Michelle Williams), who comes to tell him some news in her life.  She assures him about his character, especially after the doubt coming across in his demeanor.  Oz and Annie’s meeting is cut short abruptly, as an angered man is out for revenge against the magician who is suspected of flirting with the man’s wife.  The chase is on through the carnival grounds.

Yet his quick getaway is followed by the dangers of nature and of storm debris flying at him from every direction.  With the 3-D effects, it’s beyond what Dorothy went through while up inside a twister and within the walls of her farmhouse.  Just as the characters in Raimi’s movie, the audience gets a sense of having to dodge whatever comes their way.  As a story filled with magic, the use of 3-D was a great decision in bringing the movie to life and make viewers feel a part of it.

I love that the backstory to the wizard reveals him to be a bit of a ladies’ man and with James Franco in the role, Oz is handsome and dashing.  As a magician, whether in Kansas or in the magical land of Oz, Oz the man charms with his sly smile and carnival tricks.  Although Oz has a desire for riches and grand stages on which to perform his magic, his journey strengthens him as an ultimately good soul.

Theodora (Mila Kunis) is the first to meet Oz after he crash lands into mysterious and colorful new surroundings.  She has a strange demeanor, talking to Oz in a way as if to leave him guessing and wanting to know more.  Along with that, Theodora has her moments of being rather perky and of course, it adds to how her personality will take a 180-degree turn eventually.

Oz next meets Evanora (Rachel Weisz), who appears smitten by the attractive wizard and flashes a flirtatious smile his way.  She convinces him to go after the wicked witch by way of showing him the great riches that will be his if he does so successfully.  In her gorgeous, shimmery green gown, Evanora easily bewitches as the victim of another witch actually being the wicked one.  She displays expressions and emotions of the party who desperately needs the wizard’s help.

With now two companions, Finley and the China Girl, Oz makes his way through a creepy forest to seek out one more witch.  Under the pretenses that Glinda (Williams) is the wicked witch, they aim to destroy her source of power.  The witch comes into their view, emerging through the gates of a classic ghostly graveyard.  She even moves as though she were a phantom in her dark, hooded cloak.  Upon being found out by Glinda, Oz finds a familiar face looking back at him and he soon learns who is the true wicked witch.

Along with the cast, director and special effects, there were a few other elements throughout “Oz: The Great and Powerful” that I enjoyed.  These include moments early on in the movie that hint at and connect to those within the land of Oz.  One example is a scene in Oz’s trailer, when he calls his assistant Frank (Zach Braff), a trained monkey.  Later, Braff is the voiceover for Finley, the bellhop-suited monkey companion on the yellow brick road.  Another example is when one young girl (Joey King), in Oz’s Kansas carnival audience, wants his help to cure her ailment.  Once on the hunt for a wicked witch, Oz finds the China Girl (King) with a similar problem and is able to provide a remedy.  It’s reminiscent of “The Wizard of Oz,” as the farm hands Dorothy knew back home also appear over the rainbow as the scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion.

That brings me to another great element of similar scenes between the classic and Raimi’s movie.  A plan to defeat the wicked witch sisters comes to Oz and it is one that will incorporate what magicians are all about: trickery.  Glinda uses her magical powers to assist her people under disguise of clouds billowing out over their forces.  The scary flying monkeys are sent out to attack, some of which are mysteriously brought down by a scent.  This brought to mind the scene in “The Wizard of Oz,” in which Dorothy and her friends become sleepy in a field of poppies enchanted by the Wicked Witch’s spell.  So, in Dorothy’s time, maybe the Wicked Witch uses the same spell for her own evil agenda to stop the Kansas farm girl with the ruby red slippers.  It reminds me of reading Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” and how the characters Elphaba and Galinda / Glinda play out, how they direct what they once learned.

One of my favorite quotes from the movie comes from Glinda, while still held captive by Theodora and Evanora.  As she faces possible doom, Glinda makes an inspiring statement about the peoples’ dreams.  I loved it because it makes me think the same way about people in real life and their dreams as well.

Although this was only the first movie of 2013 that I went out to see, “Oz: The Great and Powerful” is definitely an early favorite.  I hope it will receive some accolades during the next award season.