Upon its release in 2022, The Bad Guys proved to be a surprising smash hit. The reviews were quite positive, with praise on all accounts. This included the screenplay, voice performances, and very entertaining action. Add in a gross of over $250 million ($250.4 million to be exact) and a sequel was inevitable. The Bad Guys 2 is now gracing screens to end the summer. This begs the question: Can the fun of the original be replicated? The short answer is, not really.
L-R: Snake (Marc Maron), Shark (Craig Robinson), Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Tarantula (Awkwafina) and Piranha (Anthony Ramos) in DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The story of The Bad Guys 2 follows our titular characters, including Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (voiced by Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos), and Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina). With the crew struggling in their new lives as “good guys,” something attempts to pull them back to a life of crime. This involves the criminal crew “Bad Girls,” consisting of Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks), Doom (Natasha Lyonne), and Pigtail Petrova (Maria Bakalova). When the Bad Girls pull the Bad Guys out of retirement, they are forced to do “one last job.”
L-R: Pigtail (Maria Bakalova), Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks) and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) in DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
What follows is a heist film suitable for all ages. Admittedly, the humor attempts to appeal to both young and old audiences. When the film is attempting this, it is inarguably at its strongest. This includes plenty of jokes and subtextual adult comedy that younger audiences will not get. In those small moments, I have to admit that I was grinning ear to ear. Then, for the younger audiences, there is plenty of child-friendly humor. This includes moments of bathroom jokes that brought plenty of audible laughter from the younger audience in my screening. For some families, those elements could be more than enough for a trip to the theater. Unfortunately, that does not make The Bad Guys 2 a memorable film.
L-R: Wolf (Sam Rockwell) and Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) in DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The problem with this sequel is rather simple: the novelty has worn off. Upon its release in 2022, The Bad Guys proved to be a loving, family-friendly homage to crime and heist films. While not novel, it demonstrated great respect for the genre. The Bad Guys 2 also pays respect to that genre. But with this being a sequel, you would hope that another card would be in the deck to differentiate itself. Instead, the film simply goes through the motions that audiences may expect.
L-R: Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) in DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
If you have seen The Bad Guys, this sequel simply loses the charm of the original. Instead, it plays the “hits” without finding its own voice. That is not to discredit the talented vocal cast. It’s obvious these performers filmed these scenes in separate sound booths at different times. That said, each of these performers (including the new cast) understands the kind of movie they’re in, mostly playing things broad, except for Sam Rockwell (Galaxy Quest) and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple). In that regard, I certainly could not lie and say that The Bad Guys 2 was not fun to watch. That is largely thanks to many exciting action sequences that prove themselves as visual feasts.
Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Every action sequence has a level of electricity that pulsates through it. They’re fun, fast-paced, and quite humorous throughout. The film presents a multitude of visuals to the viewer, including quite enjoyable jokes and easter eggs. In a theatrical setting, it would be hard to catch them in one sitting. More than just bombastic set pieces, it’s easy to see the creativity on display here. For some, that will certainly be enough to justify a fun evening out at the cinema. For others, that may not be enough to justify the expensive price tag of seeing it on the big screen.
Commissioner Luggins (Alex Borstein) in DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Universal Pictures / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The Bad Guys 2 is not a bad animated sequel. The problem is that it does not differentiate itself from the original. There’s consistency in its humor, and the film manages to keep up a quick pace. The action is exciting, with fun vocal performances to counterbalance that bombastic energy. As a film residing in the dog days of summer, families could undoubtedly make better theatrical entertainment choices. But if you find yourself in the theater for The Bad Guys 2, you certainly won’t have a terrible time. Even with its moments of fun, it’s still hard not to pine for a stronger film once the credits roll.
In theaters August 1st, 2025.
For more information, head to the official DreamWorks Animation The Bad Guys 2 website.
Final Score: 2.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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