The idea of anthropomorphic animals as characters in film or television is nothing new. Typically, the lead character or characters start on the side of good and have a battle with some force of evil. 2022’s The Bad Guys decided to switch up the formula in hopes of something new and refreshing. The idea of these already established villains—hoping to do right—of The Bad Guys was an entertaining take with a star-studded cast, and the film worked enough to warrant a sequel. The Bad Guys 2 takes it further with better animation, jokes, and more fleshed-out characters, resulting in a successful film that left this reviewer ready for part 3.
The Bad Guys 2 sees Pierre Perifel in the directing chair but brings along JP Sans as co-director. Ethan Choen returns to write the sequel with veteran writer Yoni Brenner for a much-needed expanded story. The story once again follows the crew of the Bad Guys: Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Snake (Marc Maron), Shark (Craig Robinson), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Tarantula, also known as Webs (Awkwafina).
This time around, the Bad Guys need work and cash since turning good. The team helps Police Chief Misty Luggins, now Commissioner (Alex Borstein), in catching a new set of criminals. However, they become embroiled in a whole conspiracy involving people from their past, a precious metal, and are stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Bad Guys 2 is undoubtedly a kids’ movie, yet the script makes it a bit more.
Choen used his well-established skills as a writer to build the tone and feel of the first movie. Brenner adds a bit more with better, fine-tuned jokes and a well-layered mystery. Every plot point of the script kept The Bad Guys 2 engaging well, also giving the cast something valuable to bring to the story. The humor that worked so well in the first movie only got better with this sequel. The film is silly, to say the least, but doesn’t become annoying or overdone. Part of what made the humor work so well featured a McGuffin-like metal, called McGuffinite, that not only got the biggest laugh, but also advanced the overarching plot superlatively.
The world of The Bad Guys is nothing new for director Pierre Perifel. Perifel might’ve done a great job this time around, but I think bringing San in helped make The Bad Guys 2 superb compared to its predecessor.
The direction and animation style is fast-paced at specific points and add a level of amazement. Several scenes were vibrant in color and beautiful to watch. Case in point is the opening action set piece. The Bad Guys are in the middle of a heist with their recently joined tech master, Webs. What happens in the scenes is a series of colorful explosions followed by an intense, fun chase. The moment is played out almost like a hyped up Looney Tunes cartoon pumped up to an eleven that just looked so cool.
Another set piece that truly shows the extent of Perifel and Sans’s great collaboration occurs in the 3rd Act. The Bad Guys make one last push to save the day and must go into space to do so. The team tries to board a rocket ship during mid-flight when they make an incredible leap. The moment slows down and allows the scene to be fully absorbed. Honestly, it’s incredible to see and shows that these movies are much more than for laughs.
The cast from the previous are well-suited for their voice acting return, and the additional new actors add more. Natasha Lyonne as Doom meshes well with Maron’s snark, and that made me want to see these two act together more often. The high point of acting in The Bad Guys 2 comes from Danielle Brooks as Kitty Kat. She brings so much depth to her character and the movie that I could easily see her character make a much-deserved return.
Although The Bad Guys 2 is a much-improved expansion of this franchise, the movie does come up with one minor hiccup.
The Bad Guys are staring down the barrel of their fate, and it seems like they may not survive. The scene is dramatically played out, coming to a natural comedic conclusion. The issue is that the conclusion is handwaved away in a clunky manner. The film is a kids’ movie; nonetheless, it just comes off in a way that Cohen and Brenner wrote themselves in a corner and just decided, “Eh. Who cares?”
The Bad Guys 2 is a massive improvement in story, characters, designs, and acting. The team effort from the directors and writers elevated the film’s style, and the ensemble does a fantastic job. The visual and art department brought their “A+” game this time around, and I really can’t wait to see where they take these characters. I didn’t intend to become a fan of this franchise, but now I’m sold on the whole thing.