'Bad Words'

Revenge is sweet. Enacting your revenge on national television while crushing and corrupting the lives of children and incurring the wrath of parents from across the country is enough to put you in a sugar coma. Unless you’re Guy Tilby.

Guy is a 40-year-old man with a sailor mouth who pushes his way into a national spelling bee through a loophole. For reasons he won’t disclose, even to Jenny Widgeon, the reporter helping him, Guy is determined to make it to the final round no matter who he pisses off.

Along the way Guy makes an unlikely friend in 10-year-old spelling bee contestant Chaitanya Chopra.

Chaitanya represents the stereotypical nerd. He studies all the time, has no friends and he’s annoyingly polite. But through his relationship with Guy, Chaitanya tastes the wild side of life.

A lot of twists and surprises pop up in the road to the final round, with an unexpected decision and a hilarious show down waiting at the end.

“Bad Words” pulls the audience in through curiosity and irritation. We all want to know why a 40-year-old is forcing his way into a child’s spelling competition. You run every cliché in the book through your head, but Guy’s reasoning isn’t revealed until three-fourths of the way through the film.

It was a clever move by the screenplay writer, Andrew Dodge. Normally, we’d get a sad background story in the beginning that would tug on our heartstrings.

Instead, we have to accept Guy for what he is: an asshole. He’s rude, selfish, foul-mouthed, borderline racist and he lacks integrity. He is detestable, only saved by his comedic antics.

Jason Bateman brought his style to “Bad Words” as the director and the star. He delivered his lines in the emotionless, deadpan way he has mastered. Prolonged camera shots complemented his comedy, waiting through his awkward pauses and slow monologues.

But the true star of “Bad Words” is Rohan Chand as Chaitanya. This kid takes adorableness to a new level, and he knows how to work it. Most surprising was his great comedic timing. Chand had no problems keeping up with a professional like Bateman.

In comedy, it’s easy to fall into a formula. As a result, plots become predictable, jokes sound all too familiar and surprises aren’t a surprise at all. “Bad Words” steered clear of the clichés, throwing curve balls that could have ended badly. But the risks were worth it.

“Bad Words” is guaranteed to make you laugh and learn a few new words.