Fluentiama
Perfect cast and a good story
Solidrariol
Am I Missing Something?
Freaktana
A Major Disappointment
edwagreen
Disappointing film with a really inane premise. Angry at the father who abandoned him and his mother years before, a man sets his sights by getting back at him by participating in a spelling bee contest where he knows that his father is presiding him.Jason Bateman is the 40 year old getting back at his father by doing this. He is an angry individual. An 8th grade drop-out who strikes out verbally with his mouth. For sure he is a misanthrope, a hater of mankind.He befriends a 9 year old at the bee and teaches him about life. The constant use of 4 letter words is inappropriate, as is the way the spelling bee is finally decided.Allison Janney plays a real stinker here. Ahead of the spelling bee, she harasses Bateman for participating, and is soon found out to be quite a character herself.You're taking a serious subject matter and almost making it inane.
zentist-563-976986
I held off watching this movie because I am not a big fan of kids in movies but today I spent a difficult day sorting out immigration issues and wanted something undemanding to watch. The adult/child story line brings with it a pedophile issue,and this movie more-or-less overcame this...in any move we have to suspend disbelief for it work and I was able to get my mind out of the gutter and accept that friendship can extend beyond normal age limits. Other that anchor, i enjoyed the movie. The relationship between the Jason Batemen and kathryn Hahn characters was entertaining and putting him in the storage cupboard opened up tHE opportunity for some nice "toilet humour". They kept it low-key so when it appeared it was funny.
italianredneckgirl
This is an honest review. Based on content and entertainment value, I rated this film higher than I typically would have. The comedic timing, delivery, and sheer audacity of Jason Bateman is absolutely brilliant. Of course, we should realize that this film isn't going to win an Oscar any time soon, but it did win me over. Historically, I'm not one for inclusion of children in such base comedy. However, given the storyline, and yes, there was one, the partnering with these children ('Slumdog' in particular) was elemental and right. I absolutely loved Bateman's character, his struggle, his obstinate determination,and even his quirky off beat humor. This character's backstory is palpable. I loved looking through his eyes, into his own train-wreck. The closure sought after his mother's death and "outing" his father by bringing him down publicly...just like a pile up on the freeway, you don't want to look, but you do. At the end of it all, yeah, there's closure. In ways we expect, the spelling bee, but also in ways we least expect. The friendship, although not the healthiest, with 'Slumdog', the quiet move into true adulthood without leaving the sophomoric adolescence of crude jokes and base humor. Bad Words is not for children, but any stretch of the imagination, but is able to touch that child, deep down, in us all, that wants to just say eff it. Simply, I like Bad Words.
Ben Parker
Well, they've finally done it. They've taken Jason Bateman's Sarcastic Man persona to the limit of being likable and broke it completely. This is pure insult comedy. There is no justification given for why the character tries to shame and humiliate every individual he meets, or why we should give a toss about him and his ridiculous quest to win a Spelling Bee against a bunch of kids.The bad news is this: Yep, I'm that guy. I have a line, and that line involves saying horrible things about rape and racial slurs to a kid. Poor Rohan Chand was badly parented on screen and off. The kid's a good actor and I want him to get parts, but this is too much. He shouldn't have had to hear this stuff. And where were the kids' parents on screen? He basically could have been raped or murdered and they'd have no idea. Ridiculous. And there he was with Jason Bateman's character. This guy would absolutely be put on a list of people not allowed to spend time around children. Everything this guy says to these juveniles is a form of child abuse. You take this movie and love it. Having said all that, the only true value in this movie is the words. There are some wonderful, obscure and ridiculously long words in the spelling bee portions which are great fun as they crop up. Its just a shame that the character and movie surrounding these words is so barren of any comedy or drive to keep watching. The words were all that kept me watching, and I regret it.
