BAD TEACHER FILM REVIEW (Minor Spoilers)

My kind of movie

THE MOVIE: CRITIC’S TAKE
I wanted to see this film since I first saw the trailer. I work in the educational system and was easily duped into seeing this. It looks like a sequel to Bad Santa which I was hoping for. It’s not but it still holds the same merits as Bad Santa. The only difference is that Cameron Diaz is smoking hot in this film and knows it. Teachers aren’t suppose to act this way but we all know that some of them do. Teachers have lives too you know but not all is as messed up as Elizabeth Halsey.

STORY

Elizabeth is a beautiful bombshell who has one simple goal in life. She wants to find a rich attractive husband who she can live off of for the rest of her life without working. She came really close but her fiancé pulled the breaks on their wedding and dumped her cold. She started drinking and hanging out at the Chicago Bulls hotspots hoping to land a NBA star but not even they are that stupid. This leaves her no other choice but to go back to her Junior High School and become a teacher again. You can see how unhappy she is.

Oh like I give a shit

She shows up to work high or drunk telling the kids how she really feels about them. She doesn’t care about anything other than her own goals of finding another rich man. She even smokes pot in the school’s parking lot and takes money from parents who don’t want to see their kids fail. She takes the money she receives and puts it away for her operation. She plans on getting bigger boobs because she thinks that is her meal ticket to a Hugh Heffner type of pal.

The boy is mine

Out of the blue the handsome Scott, played by Justin Timberlake, walks into her life. She thinks he’s cute but once she finds out that he is an heir to a fortune company she begins her hunt for her next victim. After a few conservations she learns that he’s into women with big boobs. This gives her the motivation to win the prize money for the highest scoring class and get her moneymakers. Too bad it was easier said than done.

Why couldn't she be my teacher?

Her class isn’t all that bright and seeks revenge upon them by means of Dodgeball. Her co worker Amy, played by Lucy Punch, is on to her and wants to win over Scott just the same. This leads to the battle of the bitches where Scott gets a front row seat. Also she has her own admirer that just won’t go away by the name of Russell (Isn’t that ironic), played by Jason Segel, who is head over heels for her. He would do anything for her but he’s only a gym teacher. If he made a little more money she would be all over him and he knows it but he doesn’t care. He wants her regardless.

Boner

She learns of a way for her class to pass and get the highest score but is it right? Her morals finally come into check but she really wants that money and her boobs. What is a gold digger to do when she finds a heart? If you want to learn the answer hop to your nearest theater. You have a lesson to learn.

ACTING

The acting here was good for a comedy. Cameron Diaz shined in this movie and pulled a funny performance. Justin played his part the best way he could but he still came off a bit stale to me. The funniest person in this film was Jason by far. I liked his interactions with everyone on film and he made the movie even more enjoyable. The children were able to keep up and not be over shadowed. It was a fine outing by a good cast.

The girl is mine!

SPECIAL EFFECTS

I loved the lighting in this film. The actors glowed on screen and the details of the environments looked crisp enough. The women looked beautiful when they needed to be and Cameron Diaz at the car wash with somewhat breath taking. Other than that this film doesn’t rely much on CGI.

WRITING AND DIRECTING

The film was written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg and directed by Jake Kasdan. Gene and Lee wrote some funny moments and were able to keep the flow of the film from dipping off. The directing here was not the best. I noticed some flaws in the film that most directors would have caught. If it wasn’t for the actors and some of the comical high jinks of the film this film would have came off sloppy and it would have been the director to blame.

THE END

It may not have been good timing to release this film due to all the firing of teachers that is going around. This movie is vulgar and lacks some moral judgment. I can see why some teachers don’t want this released into theaters but the film is enjoyable and contains some funny moments. If you liked Bad Santa I think you will like this. I for one will see it again. Where can I hear a teacher cuss out a student without getting in trouble? Only the movies!

OVERALL

STORY 7 out of 10
ACTING 7 out of 10
SPECIAL EFFECTS (Lighting, wardrobe, etc) 6 out of 10
WRITING 7 out of 10
DIRECTING 5 out of 10

TOTAL 6 out f 10 (SEE IT IN THEATERS FOR A DATE NIGHT)