I honestly don’t think it is possible to ever hate a Christmas movie. Perhaps it is just the yuletide setting that fills me with jolly merriment and good cheer or the fact that Christmas films are usually defined by their well-intentioned spirit that fails to be anything less than pleasant holiday viewing. While many classics of the Christmas movie genre are notable for being wholesome, endearing entertainment, the same cannot be said for A Bad Moms Christmas, which is a film that builds on the raucous and rowdy nature of the original film Bad Moms, placing the story in a Christmas setting, and aiming to explore the themes of motherhood and family values that were introduced in the original film. Whether or not A Bad Moms Christmas succeeds at this is up to the viewer, but I can tell you something for sure: it is a truly enjoyable film, and perhaps it does have its glaring flaws, but it matters very little when considering how this film is a delightful and outrageously hilarious holiday comedy film that I did enjoy tremendously, even if I would not consider it as being faithful to its potential.

A Bad Moms Christmas simply takes inspiration from its predecessor and looks at the three titular bad moms – Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis), the neutral and pleasant suburban housewife (she doesn’t seem to have a job in this film, which is odd considering how the previous film made it a notable point to portray her as the archetypal working mother, a concept almost entirely absent from this film in terms of Kunis’ character), Kiki (Kristen Bell), the persnickety and precise mother of four, and Carla (Kathryn Hahn), the vulgar but lovable beautician attempting to raise her son as a single mother. As in many Christmas-themed films, A Bad Moms Christmas approaches the holiday season by taking the opportunity to introduce the extended family of the main characters in order to create hilarious tension and further the themes of family togetherness that pervade many Christmas films. A Bad Moms Christmas acquires a trio of very talented (and extraordinarily funny) actresses to add to the catalogue of “bad moms”, such as the critical, ultra-wealthy perfectionist mother of Amy, Ruth (Christine Baranski), the obsessive mother of Kiki, Sandy (Cheryl Hines) and the excessive alcoholic and gambling mother of Carla, Isis (Susan Sarandon), and after having introduced these three new characters, the film is free to fall into autopilot mode, as the rest of the film is able to write itself, based simply on this straightforward premise.

I could go ahead and try and talk about the virtues and ethics of A Bad Moms Christmas, and try and unpack the hidden allegorical meanings and metaphors present throughout. However, that would be particularly difficult to do, considering there really isn’t any merit in looking at this film as anything other than a rowdy Christmas comedy, where the reliably funny actresses from Bad Moms are able to go up against their own fictional mothers, with every bit of cliché and expected resolution than one has come to know from these kinds of films. There are not many reasons to rush out to watch A Bad Moms Christmas, but if you are anything like me, you will relish in the opportunity to see these very talented actresses pitting their wits against each other in outrageous and hilarious ways, and in this regard, A Bad Moms Christmas delivers wonderfully. The greatest strength of A Bad Moms Christmas is the same that helped make Bad Moms an entertaining film – it does not take itself too seriously, and rather embraces its outlandish storyline. Moreover, A Bad Moms Christmas also improves on the original in one particular aspect: it has a stronger premise, and while it is still ultimately quite thin and predictable, it does the absolute most it could conceivably do with it.

The main draw of A Bad Moms Christmas is the cast. As with the original film, A Bad Moms Christmas is anchored by three very good performances. Kunis is given a little more to do this time around, but her character is still slightly underdeveloped, and rather exists as an audience surrogate, being a voice of reason and someone relatively neutral. Kunis may not give a definitive performance here, but like in Bad Moms, she is reliable. Kristen Bell is also great, and her comic timing is absolutely impeccable, as has been proven in several other instances, where she conveyed the sense that she truly is a cinematic treasure. Yet, Kathryn Hahn confirms the belief that she is a comedic force-of-nature, and she benefits the most from this film, as it allows her the opportunity to explore her character and develop into someone who is not simply the outrageous comedic belief. It is a performance that single-handedly uplifts the entire film and elevates it considerably. Her performance may not shake the hallowed halls of historical moments in acting, but it is the result of a well-written character being interpreted by an extraordinarily talented actress who has displayed her ability to be incredibly inept at both comedy and drama on many occasions. I don’t mean to overpraise Hahn, but these kinds of scene-stealing comedic performances are very often the very reason for a film to succeed, and Hahn is wonderful – vulgar, hilarious but also surprisingly touching at times, she really does so much with an otherwise archetypal character.

However, having said this, let’s get right to the point: I suspect many others saw this film for the same reason that I did – to see some of the most well-regarded actresses working today entering into the raunchy and wild world of the bad moms. There was something so camp and endearing about seeing the iconic Christine Baranski strutting through this film with her distinctive elegance, making good use of her natural charm and comedic timing to construct Ruth as a deeply despicable, but simultaneously endearing character. Cheryl Hines is an underappreciated actress, with her work on television going tragically under-recognized (and I will use this opportunity to promote Curb Your Enthusiasm, one of the greatest television shows of all time and one in which Hines is fantastic – but that’s just a pointless digression. I just like the show), and she is given an emotional yet deeply hilarious arc that shows off Hines’ distinctive acting style, and she and Bell play off each other very well. Controversial as her opinions may be, we cannot deny that Susan Sarandon is a tremendous actress, and while she should exercise some restraint when it comes to accepting every film offer that comes her way, she is really great in many of her performances, regardless of the quality of the film. A Bad Moms Christmas allows Sarandon to have fun with a character, and she approaches this role with such gusto and sincere enthusiasm, it is not difficult to see why she is such a well-regarded actress. Her chemistry with Hahn is also fantastic, and they manage to bring out the strengths in each other considerably well, to the point where the entire film benefits as a whole from it.

The premise of A Bad Moms Christmas is not entirely strong, but it matters very little when you consider that this is a film that does not intend to be anything other than just an entertaining, mind-numbingly silly exercise in raunchy female-led comedy, that relies on the relatable nature of the narrative to drive it forward. I feel like I am committing a cardinal sin by openly admitting to actually having enjoyed A Bad Moms Christmas far more than I was expecting – it was certainly cliched and unbelievably predictable most of the time, but it also seemed to be fully aware of its own nature and as a result, it embraces its flaws with admirable enthusiasm. The combination of the dedication to its story, obviously aiming itself at a particular portion of the audience (but relatable enough to be enjoyed by everyone), and wonderful performances from a very strong cast that clearly intended to just make something distractingly fun, is the perfect formula for an entertaining holiday film that is a welcome addition to the canon of warm, loving Christmas-themed films that help make the holiday period a time of joyful spreading of good cheer. A Bad Moms Christmas is just a really fun film (I realize how much I have used the word “fun” in this review – and despite being reductive, there really isn’t any other possible way to describe this film), and just a guilty pleasure that manages to be warm and comforting, filled with laughter and a great message of finding redemption in family values, as predictable as that message may be. A Bad Moms Christmas is not for everyone, but it is simply an endearingly delightful comedy that may be deeply flawed and heavily reliant on a central concept that may rarely work as well as it could, but it has its strengths, which alone makes A Bad Moms Christmas worth the time of anyone who wants a bit of holiday-themed escapism.