‘The Bad Guys 2’ Review: Bigger, Badder, and Bolder DreamWorks Sequel Blows the House Down
Beyond the effect of the pandemmy, the early 2020s were a weird time for animation. Following Into the Spider-Verse, many studios were like “Waaait, we don’t have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and can mix animation techniques to make our films visually stand out from the hyperrealistic norms?” DreamWorks Animation's 2022 release The Bad Guys felt like the first to take that post-Spidey influence and switch up their stylistic game big time. Based on the Scholastic book series of the same name, the movie was a fun mix of caper tropes bolstered by its unique 2D/3D visual style. It was a success for Dreamworks and a major turning point for the studio in terms of offering visual variety with each project. Whereas its predecessor was a simple kiddie tribute to Soderbergh and his Ocean’s series, The Bad Guys 2 astounds as a stellar Ocean’s and Mission Impossible-inspired action spectacle that rivals many live-action action blockbusters.
Image copyright (©) Courtesy of Universal Pictures
MPA Rating: PG (For action/mild violence, rude humor and language.)
Runtime: 1 Hours and 44 Minutes
Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Director: Pierre Perifel
Writers: Yoni Brenner, Etan Cohen
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Following the events of the first film, the titular Bad Guys — Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) — have given up their life of crime and rejoined society. However, due to their criminal history, none of them can find work. As they struggle to make a fresh start, a new thief known as the Phantom Bandit is on the loose and using their heist trademarks. They try to expose the bandit during a luchador event but find themselves framed for robbery, pursued by the police — including their previous ally Commissioner Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein) — and fall right into the clutches of a ragtag trio of bandits. Kitty (Danielle Brooks), their leader, is a feisty masc snow leopard, Pigtail (Maria Bakalova) is a large nerdy boar, and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) is a feathery femme fatale raven. They force the Bad Guys to join them on a rocket heist and threaten to reveal Governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz)’s identity as the former criminal mastermind Crimson Paw if they do not comply. But the Bad Guys have a plan of their own.
The Bad Guys 2 Goes Bigger Badder and Bolder
Now that every other animation studio has adopted the 2D/3D hybrid style, director Pierre Perifel's bigger and badder heist marks, from a visual standpoint, a staggering improvement on its predecessor in every capacity. The Bad Guys 2 mostly maintains the elements that made the first movie so breezy and fun, including the fast-paced zippiness and colorful atmosphere bolstered by comic book-influenced action shots. But the sequel forgoes the first installment's light tone and ambitiously hones a darker, mature edge. This works both in its favor and to its detriment.
The Bad Guys 2 actively takes advantage of this new darkness in its storytelling while keeping the series' signature charm intact. The titular crew is still the beating heart of the sequel. In contrast to how story-driven the first one was, returning writer Etan Cohen and co-writer Yoni Brenner offer more character-focused examination, offering well-developed social commentary on the lack of support for rehabilitating ex-cons. Following a flashback scene to the team's greatest heist, the film's first act begins with a powerful hook that reestablishes the crew and their shared struggle to connect to society. The montage of everyone failing to land jobs during interviews — Sam Rockwell breaks my heart early on as his charming Wolf pleads with a bank manager for a chance — enforces a realistic tone that persists throughout the plot.
As the narrative progresses, following its caper foundation through the mission the Bad Guys are thrust into, Perifel enhances their skills in real-time, with increasingly elaborate technical elements. This evolution is amplified by bold lighting cues, dynamic camerawork, and intricate sound mixing and design, especially as the climax reaches outer space. The DreamWorks animation team effectively fine-tunes the strongest aspects of the first installment — such as the cartoony exaggeration of chase sequences — while also finding new ways to heighten the tension through zany, kinetic action. For example, one standout set piece reminiscent of the predecessor’s guinea pig sequence has an entire stadium crowd chasing the Bad Guys, with one character pushing through the mob to catch up. Despite the comedic tone, the characters’ well-rendered and sympathetic nature adds to the heightened tension and stakes.
Newfound Sophistication Comes at a Price
With that said, the silly demeanor of the predecessor is crucially scaled back, sometimes too much to a fault. There is a plethora of good vibrant humor all around, especially a clever joke revolving around a MacGuffin metallic object called "macguffinite." However, the dialogue at many points is not sufficiently developed to compensate for the downscaling of jokes.
The voice cast, which includes all the previous actors (including Richard Ayoade, who voiced the predecessor's antagonist, Professor Marmalade) considerably compensates for the dialogue's shortcomings. I am highly a fan of Marc Maron's raspy-voiced, miserable, but now Vinyasa-obsessed Mr. Snake. While everyone is as great as they were before, this caper's standout is Danielle Brooks, who provides a nerve-racking and charismatic performance as the deadly, power-driven Kitty. Brooks oozes with menace and swagger, always one step ahead. Matched with a design that's like if Katy O'Brien from Loves, Lies, Bleeding were a snow leopard, she's a genuine threat and had me tense the entire way through.
All Animal Crew Out-Actions Tom Cruise
While The Bad Guys 2 retains the original’s signature caper elements, it makes more confident, visually stunning, and exhilarating strides in its set pieces and story beats as it approaches its second half. Think of a car running on a Soderbergh engine. Then halfway through, The Bad Guys 2 replaces it with a McQuarrie engine. Astonishingly, it hits the same aura of tenseness as his Mission Impossible entries, if not straight up surpassing them. What if I said I found myself more enthralled and stressed here than I was watching Final Reckoning?
Similar to other DreamWorks sequels, like Shrek 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, and How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Bad Guys 2 considers its young audience's intelligence and gives them a worthy, superior, and mature sequel that fulfills its ambitions and reaches an unexpected level of sophistication that makes me want more. Its finale leaves room for a sequel, and I'm all in for more Bad Guys movies as long as they're all as good as this one.
FINAL STATEMENT
The Bad Guys 2 is a vast improvement on its predecessor, advancing its tone and set pieces to deliver a visually stunning and buoyant action sequel that leaves you feeling so good.
