There’s a strange dearth of family programming hitting theaters. There are plenty of films for older teens, young adults, and older, but titles that you can take younger kids to are oddly absent. Even worse, the ones that do get released can frequently come off as pandering rather than trusting the audience to come along for the ride. This seems to be the absolute opposite case for the Pierre Perifel (The Bad Guys) and JP Sans (Bilby) co-directed action comedy The Bad Guys 2, adapted from the Aaron Blabey series of books, as it trades the Pulp Fiction (1994) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001) vibes of the first film for Moonraker (1979) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), all while maintaining its characteristic lunacy. If this is your brand of entertainment, the upcoming home release edition includes a brand-new short, a commentary track, deleted scenes, and plenty of behind-the-scenes featurettes so audiences can learn exactly how they pulled off a sequel that’s somehow more fun than the original theatrical outing.
If you’re interested in a spoiler-free look at The Bad Guys 2, head over to EoM Contributor Gabe Lapalombella’s initial theatrical release review. We’re leaving nothing untouched from here on out.
After stopping Professor Marmalade (voiced by Richard Ayoade) from using the Love Crater meteorite from mind-controlling an army of guinea pigs to steal his own charity funds, the gang of thieves known as The Bad Guys — mastermind Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), safecracker Mr. Snake (voiced by Marc Maron), master of disguise Mr. Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson), brawler Mr. Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos), and hacker Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina) — turn themselves in to authorities in order to try to earn a clean slate. But starting over is never easy and, after release, the five discover that their antics have created a situation wherein no one will give them a chance at redemption. That is until word gets out of a Phantom Bandit stealing various items around town and Wolf decides to offer his help to newly-promoted Commissioner Misty Luggins (voiced by Alex Borstein). While the intention is sound and selfless, doing so makes Wolf realize that something else is going on that may involve one of his own rehabilitated team — except its much worse and threatens to bring down The Bad Guys and Governor Diane Foxington (voiced by Zazie Beetz) with a heist no one can see coming from a group no one knows about: The Bad Girls.
The following is based on a 4K UHD retail copy provided by DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
Where the first outing is about villains learning that being good comes with greater rewards than being bad (among other things the film addresses through its subtext), the second outing is surprisingly richer and more thoughtful. Amid its mad cap and exaggerated antics belies a story, written by Yoni Brenner (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs) and Etan Cohen (Tropic Thunder; The Bad Guys), that questions whether or not public perception can change when an honest effort for rehabilitation is attempted. In light of documentaries like The Alabama Solution (2025) which catalogues a series of incidents involving gross misconduct of prison guards, the state government that supports that conduct, and a general belief that once someone goes to prison (regardless of innocence or level of crime), they deserve to stay there, a film like The Bad Guys 2 pointing out the very real issue that some ex-convicts face when trying to turn their lives around post-release is quite poignant. There have been plenty of adult films which utilize this type of plot point as a catalyst for drama, but it’s rare to see in a family film. It may be glossed over in favor of seeing The Bad Guys get back into the heist business, but when one actually lingers on the plot, realizes that the team is being blackmailed in order to save Diane’s governorship, the whole of The Bad Guys 2 becomes a beautiful starting point for families to discuss ethical treatment of ex-convicts, whether doing the wrong thing for the right reason is still wrong, and if the judicial system and the publics’ perception of that system require reform. The basis is already there with the reveal of Diane as the renowned thief Crimson Paw in the first outing and her being instrumental in both the reform of The Bad Guys and the taking down of Marmalade. The Bad Guys 2 takes it further and makes it far more obvious through the initial rejections each team member receives as they vie for new professions and their attempts at using their skills to help Luggins. Based on the Blabey books I’ve read at bedtime, this actually aligns fairly well with the source material, even if taken to even greater extremes through the process of adapting for an animated feature. As a cinematic sequel, that this film can maintain the same humor and heart, raise the stakes (and antics) from the first film, and ask big questions without feeling like a total rehash impresses and desiring to immediately show the film to your kids (I screened this solo) says a lot about its rewatchability.
Animated films may not initially seem like the kinds of home entertainment for which format matters. In truth, this is the case with all films as long as the on-disc presentation is properly encoded to deliver an experience on par with modern entertainment options. A film on a DVD projected by a 20-inch catheter tube TV in 2002 is going to appear significantly different compared to it being played on a 4K UHD player on a 63-inch 4K UHD flat TV. The point, if I may, is that animation is often overlooked in the 4K department because the films may already look great, so one may not see the benefit of a 4K UHD presentation if it still impresses on standard HD. The reason it can be impactful is that the additional details presented allow the audience to get more immersed in the experience. Due to the utilization of both traditional 2D and CG 3D animation styles, the world of The Bad Guys is vibrant and dynamic, alive as much for the shenanigans that the characters get up to as the way the world responds to them. In the cold open flashback, as The Bad Guys fly out of the Billionaire’s (voiced by Omid Djalili) estate and land on the inflatable, the purples, oranges, and browns with their black sketch marks (all trademarks of traditional animation) provided a beautiful backdrop for the all-black car they ride in while the way the inflatable moves is fluid (created via 3D animation) before it’s all surrounded by varying shades of brown dust as the rubber meets the road. The overlay of animation styles, rather than being incongruous, interlocks to present a complex and wholly satisfying animated experience. The on-disc presentation on the 4K UHD disc, despite holding all of the bonus features for the title, is impressively strong as it maintains an Mbps bitrate in the mid-70s that occasionally jumps into the 80s, with very few drops or jumps. This is near double the max bitrate for a Blu-ray (40 Mbps), meaning that this on-disc presentation is easily 2x the bitrate of a HD edition, all of which is beautiful to behold when projected by an appropriate/compatible system.
Much like the previous home release for The Bad Guys, The Bad Guys 2 includes a number of special features that mix charming marketing tools, featurettes for inquiring minds, and general entertainments. The nine-minute “Double Trouble: The Animals Behind The Bad Guys 2” involves five members of the cast getting to meet the animals that they portray, guided by animal trainer Molly O’Neil, and is the only one that screams “promo.” O’Neil brings out each animal, talking to the audience and the actors, answering their questions and responding to various film-related quips. It’s cute and informative, but definitely seems more contractually-obligated than authentic BTS footage capture. Possessing less “promo” energy is the 10-minute “Planning the Heist” with Perifel and Sans being super silly as they discuss the Lucha Heist sequence, Perifel drawing as they go and each one feeding the silliness of the scene they’re discussing by donning costumes and such. It’s more entertaining than informative, feeling like a pre-planned goof-off, but it may help younger audiences curious about story structure get engaged and excited to learn more. Where things get truly fun and ride that line of organized chaos are the featurettes “Bad Guys: Out of Line,” “Double Jeopardy: The Making of The Bad Guys 2,” and “Meet the Gang,” which allow audiences to get a look at how the film was made by listening to the cast and crew talk talking head-style (with some in an interrogation room-type setup complete with handcuffs) between footage of them in the recording booths and final footage. The most fun is seeing the cast at work, often with their castmates (as opposed to recording solo in a booth), or how actors Danielle Brooks (Peacemaker; The Color Purple) and Craig Robinson (This is the End; Zack and Miri Make a Porno) utilize props to bring their animated performances some extra zing.
L-R: Co-director JP Sans, director Pierre Perifel, Craig Robinson (Shark), Marc Maron (Snake) and Anthony Ramos (Piranha) in a voice recording session for DreamWorks Animation’s THE BAD GUYS 2, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo Credit: Nolwen Cifuentes / DreamWorks Animation. © DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.
There are also two deleted scenes introduced by the co-directors (one of which offers a cut B-plot with Diane and Kitty (voiced by Brooks)), the “Causing a Scene” featurette which briefly drills into the space sequence (and the book moment that inspired it), as well as a drawing tutorial for The Bad Girls.
One quite surprising addition, however, is the short film Little Lies and Alibis, which you can watch either before screening or after the feature. You should screen it because it’s a fun little deviation of the “one crazy day” variety of short that, like the prior Maraschino Ruby, doesn’t impact the central story at all, but it does provide some minor insight into why Wolf is driving a beaten-up blue jalopy after the cold open. The transition in the feature is comedic, but is never addressed. Those curious can find the answer in Little Lies.
As a fan of the first film, I felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation when the second was announced. Much like Trolls (2016) into Trolls World Tour (2020) wherein the second doubled-down on the narrative themes so as to produce both entertainment and food for thought, The Bad Guys 2 brings a ton of laughs and awe as these once ne’er do wells strive to use their talents for the greater good in a tale that questions whether or not the system for crime and punishment couldn’t use a powerful overhaul. One wouldn’t expect a crime comedy caper that includes a third act space shuttle launch and space transversal by fart to impart such important and timely notions, yet, Perifel, Sans, Brenner, and Cohen manage to do it and stick the landing. Given the end of the film and mid-credits scene, one does suspect that we’re not getting the book-based zittens anytime soon, but that won’t stop things from getting even weirder.
Sign. Me. Up.
The Bad Guys 2 Special Features:
- Little Lies and Alibis: In this animated short, the Bad Guys recount their chaotic day to their parole officer after arriving 10 minutes late to their hearing. (5:29)
- Two (2) Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Director Pierre Perifel and Co-Director JP Sans.
- Bad Guys: Out of Line: Step into the studio with the cast as they record some of their silliest lines in this hilarious montage of recording booth moments! (2:05)
- Double Jeopardy: The Making of The Bad Guys 2: Cast and filmmakers unveil their master plan to bring the Bad Guys back together for another epic heist! (4:45)
- Meet the Gang: The gang is back together! Catch up with the all-star cast behind your favorite Bad Guys and meet the Bad Girls! (7:36)
- Double Trouble: The Animals Behind The Bad Guys 2: The cast of The Bad Guys 2 meet the real-life animal versions of their characters! (9:01)
- Causing a Scene: Learn how the film’s adrenaline pumping action sequences came to life! (5:15)
- Planning the Heist: Director Pierre Perifel and Co-Director JP Sans break down how they devised the elaborate Lucha Heist in this hilarious show and tell! (10:07)
- Three (3) Sketching the Bad Girls: A crime has been committed and the suspects are…the Bad Girls! Co-Director JP Sans (witness to the incident) gives a description of each of the suspects to the detective, Producer Damon Ross, and the sketch artist, Director Pierre Perifel, who shows how to draw them yourself!
- Feature Commentary with Director Pierre Perifel, Co-Director JP Sans, Head of Character Animation Benjamin Willis, Head of Story Katherine de Vries, and Head of Cinematography, Layout Théophile Bondoux (1:43:47)
Available on VOD and digital August 19th, 2025.
Available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD October 7th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official DreamWorks Animation The Bad Guys 2 webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews, streaming
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