What Christmas is ever complete without a foul-mouthed Santa Clause? It’s not quite the ensemble of the first Bad Santa, but the new cast members bring a whole new level of filth and raunch-factor to this holiday nutcracker. Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa, Sling Blade) is back as greedy, usually drunk, and often prejudice Willie who teams back up with similarly depraved Marcus played by Tony Cox (Bad Santa, Oz the Great and Powerful); Marcus brings Willie in on another caper: knocking off a Salvation-Army-style charity on Christmas Eve.

For about the first 10 minutes we get brought up to speed on the fact that Willie is same old Willie. The same foul mouthed, dead-beat we loved laughing at from the first film. Not only is he still a dead-beat, but he’s still got that weird kid Thurman Merman from the first film following him around from time to time. Now that snot-nosed kid is 21, “Are you still going to pop my cherry,” he asks Willie with an uncomfortably hilarious amount of anticipation? Willie bumps into Marcus, who apologizes profusely over double-crossing Willie from the first film. Marcus claims he was released on probation early due to over-crowding of the prison population.

Reluctantly dragged all the way to Chicago for the score of what promises to pay millions Willie gets as far as signing up for his infamous Santa role only to learn that his own mother Sunny, played by Kathy Bates (Misery, About Schmidt) is the real string-puller of this caper. Mother and son don’t exactly share a heart-to-heart hug over not having seen each other in over a decade. She affectionately calls him, “Shit-stick!” With equal affection and endearment Willie slugs her across the face; I couldn’t tell if it was open-handed or not. Seriously, the story behind why she calls him Shit-stick is none-too-surprising considering his filth-factor.

The millions are stashed in the private-office safe of the couple running the charity Diane and Regent Hastings played by Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, Drive) and Ryan Hansen (Central Intelligence, Veronica Mars), respectively. To get in the office Willie, Sunny, and Marcus will have to slip the keys off the feisty security guard Gina played by Jenny Zigrino (Fifty Shades of Black, Quiet Desperation). Marcus tries first, giving her every bit of his little-man charm including taking her to a seafood dinner. She plays him off that she simply requires a higher class of individual to court, but she’s clearly just prejudice of short people. They still need those keys so Willie reluctantly agrees to give her a go and she can’t keep her hands off him, meanwhile neither can Mrs. Hastings whom we learn has her own history with alcohol abuse, “I’m a good girl, but sometimes I need to be bad.” She’s bad alright… with Willie… in an alley… next to a dumpster, and even Willie had to admit, “It’s fucking dirty!”

Amid the plans for the caper Thurman decides to travel to Chicago and find Willie so they can spend Christmas together. As weird as that kid is you have to admit he’s got more heart than Willie’s got brains. While all the regulars in Chicago are bundled in layers Thurman is walking around in khaki shorts and his “Hungry Hoagies” work shirt. How is he not freezing?! Finally able to catch up to Willie, and surprising the hell out of him no less, Sunny insists Willie will have to get rid of Thurman – not kill him so much as just get the kid out of there. Willie’s conscience actually kicks in and he sends Thurman to the shelter within the charity he’s planning to knock over. Sweet, eh? Hearing the kids rehearsing for the choir performance on Christmas Eve Thurman gets inspired to join. They even let him wear his own Santa suit! The choir director simply wasn’t expecting Thurman to 1) dress commando and 2) to be so casual about changing into the suit in front of her. Yeah, I think even I experienced temporary blindness… or wished I had, anyway.

The big night arrives. Just as Willie and Marcus show up to get to work Thurman takes the stage to perform Silent Night; say what you want about that kid’s social awkwardness he can sing! He about gives The Fifth Element’s Diva Plavalaguna a run for her own voice. The smile and look of contentment that Willie actually caught the fat bastard’s performance and singing you think the kid would cry, but he delivers a great performance. Meanwhile business is business. Willie gets into the safe as quickly as promised. He and Marcus empty it out save the coinage. Then, just like the abusive husband who swore never to strike his wife again Marcus pulls a small revolver and threatens Willie. This time Willie has some plans of his own. Momma Sunny supplied him with a knock-off Walther, except he neglects to test it out for himself. Big mistake!
Once all three are outside ready to high-tail it out of there a Mexican stand-off ensues between Willie, Sunny, and Marcus. Sunny shoots Marcus, but doesn’t kill him, Sunny attempts to flee the police by disguising herself as a Santa Clause and making away in Santa-Con. Willie isn’t letting that bitch screw him over yet again. In the middle of the ice-rink of Santa Con she violently shakes him off the bag only to have the hundreds of thousands (as opposed to the promised millions) go flying into the air and free for everyone! Ooops.

When all was said and done Willie got sent back to work as a hospital janitor, but not to his anguish. It had been revealed to him by none other than Marcus how fond Marcus used to be of tea-bagging Willie in the ladder’s sleep. With Marcus completely restrained due to all the medical equipment Willie takes his chance for some sweet tea-bagging revenge. The first 10 or so credit shots are a series of some pretty hairy balls; I just hope it was a stunt scrotum.

If you liked the first Bad Santa this sequel is easily in the bag. Even if a generous supply of sex jokes aren’t your cup of tea Sunny makes this sequel twice the laughs in regaling us with Willie’s childhood; seriously, that alone makes the film. Movies like this offer hope to those who feel like they always hitting the allegorical bottom because once you see how Willie lives you feel like your life is actually not so terrible. If you’re looking for some entertainment-insulin to help with the clockwork airing of A Christmas Story and all the other sentimental flicks of the season go spend $11, but do it right and bring a flask with your favorite spirit. That’s what Willie would do anyway.