Directors: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore.
Starring: Milas Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith, Annie Mumolo, Oona Lawrence, Clark Duke, Jay Hernandez, Wendell Pierce, Wanda Sykes, Emjay Anthony, David Walton.
So we've had Bad Neighbours, Bad Teachers, Bad Grandpas, either Bad Santas, and now, Bad Moms headed up by Milas Kunis who has come a long way since her breakthrough, Forgetting Sarah Marshall back in 2008.
Hangover/Change-Up writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore both write and direct this comedy and is gladly an improvement from their first main feature 21 & Over. Interestingly, the director of the Hangover trilogy also has a release at this month; War Dogs.
We see Kunis come under pressure of being a mother of two (probably three if you include the immature husband played by David Walton) and constantly fighting against time and perfection to be a good mum. Especially under the watchful eye of the impeccable mothers, Jada Pinkett Smith, Annie Mumolo (well maybe not so much Mumolo) and uber bitch Christina Applegate who happens to be head of the PTA.
Things go from bad to worse for Kunis and she snaps, going from trying her damn best to breaking all the rules and forms an unlikely alliance with not-so-ideal moms Kathryn Hahn who is outrageously crazy and has the best lines of the movie and fellow Sarah Marshall star, Kristen Bell who's the innocent, under-the-thumb mum that needs to break free and grow some balls. The only common traits they share is the mothering instinct for their children and the hatred of trying to be perfect moms.
We see a more human Jay Hernandez than his recent Diablo from Suicide Squad and I was quite happy to see Kick-Ass' Clark Duke playing an immature and demanding boss, someone else Kunis had to mother. But it's massive shout out to Oona Lawrence, who plays the highly-strung daughter, obsessed with being on the soccer team and in real life, who happens to be in two major releases at the cinema at the same time; the other being Pete's Dragon. You go girl!
It boasts an superb soundtrack with current dance tracks from Demi Lovato, Icona Pop and DNCE, especially the supermarket sweep scene and the sorority party, the craziness from Hangover really shines through.
It's quite long and while it gets a little cheesy towards the end, it still projects a good underlining message, same kind of feel good feeling I experienced from Crazy, Stupid, Love and there's a nice touch during the end credits with the stars own real life mothers joining them on the couch sharing their own experiences at motherhood. It's funny, entertaining and certainly one of the better comedies I've seen this year.
Running Time: 7
The Cast: 8
Performance: 7
Direction: 8
Story: 7
Script: 8
Creativity: 8
Soundtrack: 8
Job Description: 8
The Extra Bonus Point: 10 for the end credit sofa moms, supermarket sweep and therapist Wanda Sykes.
79% 8/10
