‘The Bad Guys 2’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on August 1st is ‘The Bad Guys 2’, DreamWorks Animation’s sequel to the 2022 original, with Pierre Perifel back directing and JP Sans as co-director for this one.
The returning voice cast includes Sam Rockwell (‘Moon’), Marc Maron (‘The Order’), Craig Robinson (‘This is the End’) and Awkwafina (‘Crazy Rich Asians’) with new recruits including Natasha Lyonne (‘Poker Face’), Danielle Brooks (‘Peacemaker’) and Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’).
Related Article: San Diego Comic-Con 2025: ‘The Bad Guys 2’ Steals Attention at Hall H
Initial Thoughts
DreamWorks Animation is not a company to let a successful first movie get away without spawning a franchise. We’ve had swathes of ‘Kung Fu Panda’ outings, various ‘Madagascar’ entries (plus spin-offs) and numerous ‘Shrek’ films –– another is on the way next year.
Of course, then, ‘The Bad Guys’, which managed to delight family audiences in 2022 when the box office was still feeling the lingering ill effects of the pandemic, is back for another go-around.
And fortunately, this one is a largely positive catch-up with some very entertaining characters that has a few flaws here and there, but overall works.
Script and Direction
The screenplay for animated movies is always a moveable feast, with ideas dropped in or ripped out at the storyboard and even animatic stage. This movie’s script comes courtesy of Yoni Brenner (a veteran of the ‘Rio’ and ‘Ice Age’ franchises), Etan Cohen (‘Holmes & Watson’), both taking loose inspiration from the ‘Bad Guys’ kids’ books by Aaron Blabey.
We’re re-introduced to our animal crooks with a prologue set during the height of their heisting days for a fun sequence that mashes up the likes of the ‘Fast & the Furious’ films with ‘Mission: Impossible’ as the team steals a priceless car from a billionaire (Omid Djalili).
From there, we head to the present day, where the lifestyle of Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) and the rest is far from glamorous –– they’re struggled to make ends meet as they continue their quest to live a legal life. A chance to help track down a new criminal threat is curtailed when they’re blackmailed by a team of even sneakier crooks into pulling off (you guessed it!) one last job.
‘The Bad Guys 2’s story moves along at a decent enough clip, though it does suffer from pacing issues, going from frenetic action moments to long-winded bouts of exposition that are largely carried by the vocal work.
Still, once the true mission of the “Bad Girls” is revealed, things certainly take off.
Directorially, Pierre Perifel and his artists largely keep what worked about the original, with a winning blend of animation styles that calls to mind the ‘Spider-Verse’ movies without directly aping it. When you consider that the first ‘Bad Guys’ shifted how DreamWorks handles the look of (some of) its output, it’s easy to see why they chose to stay in that lane.
Cast and Performances
The vocal work on the movie is once again solid, with Rockwell in particular delivering his trademark charm as Mr. Wolf. He pairs well with a returning Zazie Beetz, who is his equal as Diane Foxington, the reformed criminal-turned-governor. The pair shares the most flirtatious animated dynamic since Disney’s ‘Robin Hood’.
Elsewhere, the other “Bad Guys” get a decent amount to do, with Marc Maron’s Mr. Snake handed the best storyline –– his romance that turns out to have a connection to the Bad Girls is always entertaining, and his work opposite Natasha Lyonne as his paramour is great.
Other new arrivals fare perhaps less well; Danielle Brooks is fine as Kitty Kat, the mastermind behind the other criminal crew, while Maria Bakalova is largely left to be support as hench-pig Pigtail (though she’s still good value).
Final Thoughts
It might not hit the heights of the first movie, but ‘The Bad Guys 2’ is a decent follow-up to that movie, with a fresh new dynamic that largely sidesteps the repetitive pitfalls of sequels.
And while there is comedy competition at the box office, its family target should equal a solid launch.
vY6fwLQcSqDcQXYQL2zRK6What’s the story of ‘The Bad Guys 2’?
Featuring the return of the crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, the now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good.
Yet they instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
Who is in the cast of ‘The Bad Guys 2’?
- Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf
- Marc Maron as Mr. Snake
- Craig Robinson as Mr. Shark
- Awkwafina as Ms. Tarantula
- Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha
- Zazie Beetz as Diane Foxington
- Danielle Brooks as Kitty Kat
- Natasha Lyonne as Doom
- Maria Bakalova as Pigtail
Selected DreamWorks Animation Movies:
- ‘Shrek’ (2001)
- ‘Shark Tale’ (2004)
- ‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)
- ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010)
- ‘Megamind’ (2010)
- ‘The Croods’ (2013)
- ‘Trolls’ (2016)
- ‘The Boss Baby’ (2017)
- ‘Abominable’ (2019)
- ‘The Bad Guys’ (2022)
- ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (2022)
- ‘The Wild Robot’ (2024)
- ‘Dog Man’ (2025)
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