Maybe it caught me on a good day, but I really enjoyed it!

Rating: 7/10 (14 July 2011)

From the looks of the previews, Bad Teacher seemed to scream with mediocrity. It seemed like the kind of movie that looked funny, but ultimately would be just a headache of a time to watch. Would it be one of those movies that tried to pursue the persona of being this raunch fest with punchlines? They only go so far, and Bad Teacher looked like one of those movies where they showed all the funny parts in the previews. Still I was curious, and had no desire to be in a theater with children seeing Cars 2, so maybe this film caught me in a good mood, but I sort of enjoyed it.
Bad Teacher is probably going to be one of those divided movies. You either really liked it, or didn't care too much for it. I won't deny, Bad Teacher works on some levels, and doesn't on other levels, but if you're enjoying the film the levels where it does succeed on, it sort of seems to just enhance the film more. Sure there are some scenes that seemed as if they were written specifically for a punch line, or that are completely unrealistic. Like I said though if you're enjoying the movie you sort of take it for what it is.
The thing that makes Bad Teacher work for me, is how they cleverly avoid the cliché romantic movie formula, don't get me wrong the movie does have that, but it's not the main film. I absolutely loved how the mean and shallow characters stay that way for the entire film for the most part. I liked that a lot, and it made it much more entertaining to watch. Plus I loved how the bad guy (ironically the one the audience is intended to identify with) wins, and gets the devious satisfaction. For example there are no breakdown moments from the main characters who have had an epiphany or moment of redemption. The film does no stray into these characters who seem damaged, but humorously mocks them. Which is what brings me into how I love how this film has a dark sense of humor, that I think really caught the audience off. The kind of humor where you don't really know whether or not to laugh, like the kind of very cruel but funny jokes that make your mouth drop in shock. I love that kind of humor, and the audience I was with I don't think knew what hit them. That's where Bad Teacher to me stands out slightly above recent comedies who seem to pursue this goal of making raunchy comedies. Sure the film blatantly talks about sexual situations, and has a few gross out moments, but ultimately it is the film's dark and very quirky sense of humor.
Okay there are tons of other movies I would recommend over Bad Teacher, and I don't mean to sound as if I'm over praising it. For certain subplots I felt to not be fully completed when faced with the ultimatum, and again on some levels the unreality of situations in the film is fine, but on other levels it seems to be a little annoying. Plus I felt Justin Timberlake's character to be very under written, and that should have been much more. Also the film does push the reality button, and pushes the audience into accepting what's going on. Like just how much you will be able to accept a character going to major extremes for some certain mission.
Bad Teacher is a movie where you just accept what it is, and I enjoyed it nevertheless. Maybe thinking about it later I'll change my opinion on certain things, but as for now Bad Teacher did what every comedy should set out to do- make you laugh, and make you feel joyful in some way.