BAD MOMS

Okay, so they're really not that bad.  Bad Moms is a light, predictable, profanity-filled comedy where overworked, overstressed mothers get to be "bad" by taking a break from duties and responsibilities.

Amy (Mike Kunis) seems like she has it all: a husband and two young kids, a part-time job, and an active role in her kids' PTA.  But it doesn't take much to see that she's full of stress: Her husband hangs around the house, making her feel like she's a third kid.  She does everything for her kids -- doing her son's projects, scheduling her daughter's soccer -- and they "thank" her by being embarrassed by her.  Her young boss at work keeps dumping more work on her without making her full time.  And the PTA is ruled by Gwendolyn (Christina Applegate), who rules with an iron fist and is always followed around by her supporters Stacy (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Vicky (Annie Mumolo).  When Amy kicks her husband after discovering his online affair, she's now handling all the family chores and activities (including her dog's vertigo) -- leading her to tell off Gwnedolyn at a PTA meeting and saying she's tired of working so hard to be a perfect mom.

Amy's outburst earns her the attention of two new friends: Kiki (Kristen Bell), a shy and awkward mother of four desperate for any sort of friendship; and Carla (Kathryn Hahn), a single mom who's hypersexual and outspoken.  Together they decide to be "bad moms" by doing things like partying in a supermarket, getting drunk, and being more relaxed with their kids.  Since the movie needs conflict to move the plot along, Amy decides to run against Gwendolyn for the position of PTA president.  And you don't have to be psychic to know what'll happen with the handsome widower-single dad.

Bad Moms isn't as wild as the title suggests (except for the near-continual cursing), but it is fun fluff.   While the movie is predictable and ends with a everyone-is-happy-and-friends sentimentality, it does have plenty of funny moments: Numerous slow-motion shots of the three friends partying, the catharsis its target audience would feel about cutting loose and partying, and one scene where Kiki is used to demonstrate how to handle an uncircumcised penis.  While the cast is good, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn stand out as polar opposite personality types who somehow become close friends.  Bad Moms is another decent, very straightforward summer comedy.

Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch