Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Bad Moms Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 31, 2016

There's been a lot of chatter out there in real-world land about "locker room talk" and things of that nature. While that may be not-so-uncharted territory in the political realm, it's certainly well covered territory in movie-dom and makes up a fairly large part of Bad Moms, a film that shows that such language isn't just exclusive to the boys club. The film, written and directed by the tandem of Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (21 & Over), follows a trio of friends fed up with the world and living life with a Twisted Sister-inspired attitude, surrendering their schedules and routines and chores in favor of a party-hard, them-first approach to life. The film works to find some balance in their journey, a bit of heart and a whole lot of humor. It's hardly original or even particularly memorable, but for those not too bothered by the banter, it's a fair and fun enough diversion from life's troubles, even as it's rather encompassing of them.

Born to be bad.

Amy Mitchell (Mila Kunis) is a mother of two who is always on the move. Between cooking for the family, work and meetings, and the PTA, she barely has any time for herself. Her relationship with her husband Mike (David Walton) is on the rocks and completely falls apart when she finds him virtually cheating on her via the Internet. He's kicked out of the house and her perspective on life and its priorities shifts. It shifts even further when she storms out of a PTA meeting, chaired by its President, Gwendolyn James (Christina Applegate), when she learns of the group's plans for a PC bake sale. She soon meets two new friends: the uninhibited Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and the more reserved Kiki (Kristen Bell). They make a pact and agree to be "bad moms," taking their lives into their own hands and doing things as they want, not as they are told or as society dictates. That puts Amy in hot water at her job and leaves her kids to fend for themselves, but she and her new friends enjoy their newfound freedom. Eventually, circumstances lead Amy to take on Gwendolyn for the presidency of the PTA.

So, are these moms "bad" as in "bad" or "bad" as in "cool?" A little bit of both, though their rebelliousness goes through stages of understanding of who they are as they migrate from one extreme to another and come to realize that, just maybe, there's a happy medium middle ground somewhere in between the strict routines and stagnated life they've left and the party-hard, no-cares frivolity of their escape. The movie strives to tell a story of balance, then, and with some heart and (mostly) humor intermixed in between. The film favors more of a basic cadence and character arc for its protagonist rather than delving deep into the human psyche. It's more superficial than it is meaningful, which is what the movie sets out to achieve, using the characters' growing understanding of context and balance as a tool to promote the humor, not vice versa.

It works well enough, thanks largely to some enthusiastic and capable performances from its trio of leads. Mila Kunis devours the role of Amy, exploring as many of the finer point character qualities the script has provided her but, more than that, embracing the character's lifestyle, quirks, relationships, and wants and needs without batting an eye. She makes the character as relatable as possible, both on her own and within the collective of her friends. Kristen Bell likewise rises to the challenge of portraying Kiki with a fresh and subtle sense of humor. She's the audience, essentially, caught up in the fun but more than the others still clinging to the life she's led before meeting up with Amy and Carla, playing up an innocent sweetness while still showing a bit of a wild side when the situation demands. The best performance in the film comes from Kathryn Hahn as the de facto leader of the three, a character already in full-swing rebellion against the system when she meets Amy and blazing the trail to their mayhem but also serving as the rock when she realizes that there's more to them, and life, than what they've been doing. Christina Applegate is excellent as the antagonistic and manipulative PTA president and all-around nemesis to the friends.

Bad Moms Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The digitally photographed Bad Moms doesn't make a huge impression on Blu-ray, but the format is more than capable pf presenting the film with the lightly soft and fairly diffuse look with which Cinematographer Jim Denault photographed it. Razor-sharp detail isn't commonplace. Even more dense fabrics, like sweaters and sweatshirts, which should be texturally adept, fail to present much more than the crudest surface details. The image occasionally finds a greater sense of material detail and facial features that are more revealing than they are smooth, but don't expect the film to explode off the screen with a deluge of top-end detailing. Basic clarity is fine, and the image enjoys a good, raw sense of integrity thanks to the 1080p horsepower running it. Colors are fine, presenting with an even-keeled middle ground that accentuates many bold primaries throughout. A red muscle car is the standout, but clothing, makeup, and little environmental splashes on odds and ends around locations like homes, school, and the supermarket are fine. Flesh tones are a bit pale looking under the film's intensity of lighting. Noise is apparent, but never problematic. Bad Moms isn't the most attractive movie on Blu-ray, but it presents well all things considered.

Bad Moms Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bad Moms may not look like the sort of movie that would push near-reference audio, but the film's sound engineering and the accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack do just that in several key moments. Music can be prodigious, particularly at parties or playing atop a montage or two. It's boomy and bass-happy, features plenty of surround information, and belts out notes at an aggressive volume while maintaining pinpoint clarity. A number of good support effects are scattered throughout, too, most prominent the throaty engine rev produced by a high octane vintage sports car. The track finds further success in atmospheric din at places like a bar or a crowded PTA meeting. Other than that, dialogue is the primary mover here, and it's presented with commendable ease of delivery from the center with perfect prioritization and lifelike clarity.

Bad Moms Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bad Moms contains a gag reel, deleted scenes, and interviews. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.

• Gag Reel (1080p, 6:02).
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 16:36): A collection of scenes presented without any sort of identification or ability to play them individually rather than collectively.
• Cast & Mom Interviews (1080p, 23:52): Cast and their mothers chat about life and whatnot. Included are Mila & Elvira, Kristen & Lorelei, Christina & Nancy, Kathryn & Karen, Jada & Adrienne, and Annie & Alice.

Bad Moms Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bad Moms doesn't exactly break free of contemporary comedy constraints, but it's a decent enough movie, certainly not one for those with sensitive ears but one that finds enough fun and entertainment in how the ladies look at life and what they learn from their little adventures in bad mamma-hood. Performances are energetic and while the script isn't too terribly sharp, the cast always holds it up and occasionally makes it sing. Universal's Blu-ray is a little short on extra content, but video is fine and audio is excellent. Rent it.