Boring

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

I found this hidden gem when a local video store was going out of business.I was looking for a good comedy and in dire need to laugh do to the recent passing of my father. Jason Bateman has always been a great actor to me. I remember him well in his short run sit com "It's Your Move" and truly found his talents would go far. If you need a laugh this movie will keep you laughing. I am now longing to complete my library with more of his works.

Jason Bateman's "Bad Words" has a pretty intriguing plot, an adult entering a spelling bee through a loophole in the rules, and then wrecking havoc on the contest. I'm not sure there was enough material here for a feature film? The movie seems padded with unnecessary bouts of foul language, and sex scenes. This would have been an excellent sketch on "Saturday Night Live", but often loses momentum as a ninety minute movie. Also, for dark comedy to work, it needs to be outrageous, but not hurtful. Bateman's methods for getting rid of his competition really borders on sadism, rather than "black comedy". No doubt there are some good laughs to be had but, unfortunately often at the expense of children. - MERK

I saw this movie on at 3 a.m. after a long day. I figured I'd leave it on the TV while I drifted off to sleep on the couch. And maybe learn a few new spelling bee words through osmosis...That didn't happen.I was sucked in and had to see how this played out. I set my review to spoilers in case I give anything away though I'll try not to. There's a good deal of spot on reviews already posted so I'll give my summary of pros and cons;Pros 1) Jason Bateman's directing was an unexpected surprise. I thought he did a great job of keeping the pace and visual tone to a level that keeps the viewer interested despite the backdrop of a spelling bee.2) Jason Bateman and the kid's interactions - Jason's character is one of the most unlikeable, vulgar characters I've ever seen. Probably worse than Bad Santa due to the dexterity of his vocabulary. And his interactions with the Indian child aren't any cleaner or easier to absorb. Yet the child continues to take them with a smile and tries to befriend him regardless. Bateman's character warming up to the kid is predictable but has a few curves and is an enjoyable watch if your not offended by the 'Bad Words.'Cons 1) The relationship with the main character and the reporter that is trying to figure him out is unusual. She's interested in him as a story and as a lover, yet he really doesn't show any redeeming qualities toward her at anytime in the movie. Unless she's just a glutton for punishment with her own issues (which she apparently has if you've seen their sex scenes), this relationship makes less sense than Bad Santa and the bartender's.2) The big mystery behind his motivation for trying to win a spelling bee (in the most annoying and unusual fashion) is kind of a bust. Through Jason's interactions, it is easy to deduce his motive. His disdain for fathers, his lack of family and friends, his obsession with the spelling bee...I had it figured out pretty quick. While it doesn't hurt the movie too much as it doesn't negate the comedy or his interactions with the boy, the movie plays it like a huge surprise. It falls flat in that regard. But frankly once into the movie, I wasn't too concerned about his motivation as I was seeing how it all played out. In that regard I wasn't disappointed.3) The main character is just unlikeable to the point it's hard to believe he would garner any love interest from anyone or that any child would want to be his friend. It would take a perfect storm of damaged people or Gandhi-like patience for anyone to tolerate or want to be around him. Maybe that's the hardest part of the story to believe. He's a miserable person who wants to make everyone around him miserable. Sometimes it's hard to watch, but I had to remind myself it's just a movie. But some of his actions and words seem unnecessary and cruel.Overall, it got my interest and held onto it at 3 a.m. The plot and some of the relationships between the characters seem unlikely, but the journey and witty (if not offensive) dialogue make it worth the trip. If someone told me an offensive adult jerk joining a children's spelling bee would make for a good movie, I would not believe them; nor would I have envisioned the decent movie they've managed to create.

Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy Bad Words. Mr. Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn of We're the Millers) attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand of Homeland), who is completely unfazed by Guy's take-no-prisoners approach to life.