Classic Episodes

Sugar, Cheer, and Corporate Trauma – Elf (2003) This week on Bad Dads Film Review, we crack open a modern Christmas classic and ask the hard questions: how much maple syrup is too much maple syrup, and is Christmas cheer a viable alternative energy source? Our main feature is Elf (dir. Jon Favreau), the 2003 festive juggernaut that turned Will Ferrell into a full-blown Christmas institution. Ferrell plays Buddy, a human accidentally raised as an elf at the North Pole, who travels to New York ...

In this episode, we wade into Chinatown — a sun-bleached noir where water is power, everyone’s lying, and the system wins. We talk Jack Nicholson’s bandaged nose, Faye Dunaway’s glass-shard fragility, John Huston’s all-time villainy, and that ending that still guts you. Yes, we address the director caveat up front; then we focus on what’s on screen: A precision-engineered thriller that never wastes a line, a clue, or a cut. What we cover Why “Chinatown”? The title’s bleak punchline and wh...

This week the dads step into glamorous 1960s Europe with Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963) — the first outing for Peter Sellers’ bumbling Inspector Clouseau. For many of us, this was like watching it for the first time. Sure, we’d caught bits on Sunday TV over the years, but sitting down start-to-finish was a new experience — and a surprising one. Despite being branded a Clouseau movie, Sellers actually takes a back seat to David Niven’s dashing jewel thief Sir Charles Lytton and Robert ...

You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we’re dusting off the golf clubs and heading to the green for one of Adam Sandler’s most beloved and chaotic comedies: Happy Gilmore. Directed by Dennis Dugan and released in 1996, this sports-comedy cult classic swings hard with juvenile gags, unexpected heart, and...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we lock, stock, and double-tap our way into the gloriously over-the-top world of Hot Fuzz (2007), the second film in Edgar Wright’s beloved Cornetto Trilogy. With an outrageous body count and a razor-sharp script, it’s a love letter to action movies — by way of twee English village life. Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel, a no-nonsense London supercop who’s so good at...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we’re taking a journey into one of the most beloved fantasy films of all time—The Princess Bride. A perfect blend of adventure, romance, comedy, and swashbuckling action, this 1987 classic continues to capture the hearts of audiences across generations. Directed by Rob Reiner and based on William Goldman’s novel, The Princess Bride is a fairy tale that refuses to be ordinary. It delivers heartfelt romance, thrilling action, and razor-sharp wit,...

You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! Today, we're cruising back to the 1980s with a deep dive into Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a seminal teen comedy that has left an indelible mark on the genre. Directed by Amy Heckerling and released in 1982, this film not only launched several careers but also captured the quintessen...

You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out! Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where today we're swinging into the classic realm of science fiction with a deep dive into the 1968 groundbreaking film, "Planet of the Apes." Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and based on the novel by Pierre Boulle, this film not only redefined a genre but also left an indelible mar...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! Today, we're locking and loading for a deep dive into the quintessential 80s action-horror classic, Predator (1987). Directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger at his muscle-bound, one-liner-besting peak, "Predator" is a masterclass in tension, action, and the art of the hunt. Predator drops us into the dense, steaming jungles of Central America, where an elite team of commandos, led by Schwarzenegger's Dutch, is on a rescue mission. Ho...

Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where today we're setting our sights on a classic piece of British cinema, The Bulldog Breed. Released in 1960, this film is a delightful mix of comedy, romance, and a dash of patriotism, embodying the charm and wit of early British films. The Bulldog Breed stars the iconic Norman Wisdom, known for his slapstick humor and impeccable comedic timing, as Norman Puckle. After being rejected by the love of his life for not being adventurous enough, Puckle join...

This is a trip down memory lane. It's a movie that Sidey studied at school and that Dan went to see at the pictures on it's opening night. We watched The Third Man, the classic film noir, Harry Lime bootlegging story. There's loads of positive vibes about this online, but how will it fare under the critical eye of the Bad Dads?

Peter Andre felt like choosing something a little different for our first entry in our Best Of British week. It's still a feature length creations, it is in fact the Only Fools and Horses December 1985 Christmas Special - To Hull and Back. One of the Dads was less than enthused about the prospect of a ninety minute slog through this, but perhaps Del Boy et al can change his mind!