Based on the children’s novel series of the same name, 2022’s ‘The Bad Guys’ by DreamWorks brought the team of highly skilled but sometimes clumsy criminals to the big screen for their big heist. The film was well received by both kids and adults for its story of if Bad Guys can become good, friendship and betrayal, as well as its top-notch animation, art style, and just being an enjoyable and funny movie for all ages. The Bad Guys, or now Good Guys, or at least trying to be good, are back in ‘The Bad Guys 2’, now breaking into cinemas worldwide.

Five years after the original film, the Bad Guys have put their life of crime behind them, but trying to make an honest living hasn’t been easy. Mr. Wolf, Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Shark and Mr. Piranha have struggled to land jobs, despite not having committed a crime in five years. Meanwhile, Mr. Snake has found love with someone he has more in common with than he realises. Big crimes have also been occurring, and all signs point towards the original Bad Guys, who team up with the new police commissioner, Misty Luggins, to find the real perpetrators. T

he Bad Guys soon end up being kidnapped by the mysterious team of criminals, who then blackmail them into working together for a new heist. The Bad Guys reluctantly agree and resort to their old ways, but Mr. Wolf has a plan that will either have them come out on top and prove their innocence or cost them dearly.

All of the main cast return from the original film. Sam Rockwell voices Mr. Wolf, the leader of the Bad Guys, who may be having a rough time lately, but still maintains his wits and charm. Zazie Beetz is back as Governor Diane Foxington, who still has a good public image, but her past as the Crimson Paw could catch up to her.

Even after five years, Mr. Wolf and Diane are surprisingly still just friends, which becomes a running gag throughout the film, but the sequel gives them a chance to maybe develop into something more.

Marc Maron returns as Mr. Snake, who has shown the most change since the first movie, though he still has the same brash attitude as before. Now that he has a love interest, it allows him to show a whole different side to his personality, which creates some moments that are both funny and cringeworthy at the same time. Also returning are Awkwafina as Ms. Tarantula, who still puts her hacking skills to good use, Craig Robinson as Mr. Shark, the team’s master of disguise, who still somehow fools everyone and Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha, who unfortunately still has trouble controlling his flatulence when nervous.

Also returning are Alex Borstein as Misty Luggins and Richard Ayoade as Professor Marmalade, who have much smaller roles but still get some memorable moments. Misty Luggins was the chief of police in the first, but has since been promoted to police commissioner, and seeing her having to team with the former Bad Guys creates some entertaining moments. Professor Marmalade, who was revealed to be the main villain in the original film, has shown the biggest change (literally) out of everyone since living life behind bars.

The new team of criminals, appropriately named the Bad Girls, includes Kitty Kat, Doom and Pigtail Petrova. Danielle Brooks voices Kitty Kat, the leader of the team, whose design has an intimidating presence on screen and Brooks ’voice work adds so much to her no-nonsense demeanour. Not to typecast Danielle Brooks, but her breakthrough role in the hit show Orange is the New Black makes her a perfect fit for this new main villain.

Doom and Pigtail Petrova get a lot of big moments, too, one figuratively and the other literally. Natasha Lyonne voices Doom, a raven with an alluring personality, and Maria Bakalova voices Pigtail Petrova, a wild boar who is the muscle of the team, though with a kind and sweet personality that does seem out of place, but also strangely fits in with the team. Together, they may be a smaller team compared to the Bad Guys, but they do more than enough to stand out and be a bigger threat against the bigger team with their diverse skills and personalities. They are a perfect example of strong female characters.

The Bad Guys sequel shines in so many ways. The plot is well thought out, with references to the first movie showing plenty of character development for the main cast. Even when the Bad Guys are doing their best to be good, the film reminds audiences that their criminal pasts were what

gave them purpose and a way to earn a living, although a dishonest one, and they occasionally wonder if it’s worth it. When they’re forced to perform one more heist, they feel right at home and haven’t missed a beat, although a few characters still have the same issues as before that could jeopardise their missions in hilarious fashion.

Mr. Shark is still a master of disguise despite the fact that he still obviously looks like a shark, but still isn’t able to remain calm when under extreme pressure, and Mr. Piranha’s lack of control of his bodily gases has only gotten worse. When Mr. Piranha has to share the same confined space with another character, only the worst thing possible could happen. The first did have a few too many fart jokes that were a bit overdone, but the sequel doubles down on this and somehow makes it funnier and not just for a cheap laugh. The rest of the cast also gets plenty of hilarious moments, and everyone has fantastic on-screen chemistry, no matter the mood.

On top of the excellent voice performances and storytelling full of humour, charm, emotion and more, all of that is complemented by the film’s fantastic art style, presentation and animation. The art style differs a little from the covers of the book series it’s based on, but stands out on its own to create something unique with its own style and personality. Whether the character expressions are big and over the top or small and subtle, everything was done so meticulously that every scene could tell you so much about what’s going on in each character’s mind.

With the main characters having to perform big heists, it means audiences will expect a lot of action scenes, and there is plenty of it here and even more than in the first movie. The action scenes are wild, fun, entertaining and hilarious to witness, with every character getting a chance to show off what they do best thanks to the hardworking animation and art teams at DreamWorks and Sony Pictures Imageworks. The music has something for every occasion and is similar to spy thrillers like James Bond and Mission Impossible with its jazzy tunes.

The Bad Guys 2 is definitely one of the funnier animated movies in recent years, with plenty of charm and personality. It may not rank amongst the top DreamWorks animations like Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda and The Wild Robot, but it’s certainly worth a watch for those looking to have a fun time with plenty of laughs. A few characters do get a smaller feature in the sequel, but there is so much to enjoy about the new characters, development of returning characters, comedy, action and more. Audiences, young and old, will be in for a wild and out-of-this-world ride while laughing the whole way through in The Bad Guys 2.

The Bad Guys 2 is in Australian cinemas September 18 with advance screenings September 6,7, 13 and 14.

Written by: Sammy Hanson