‘The Bad Guys 2’ is just as fun as the first | Movie review
“The Bad Guys 2” is just as fun as the first film, if not better. The massive amount of diverse characters and fun animation make for what seems to be an “Oceans” franchise for kids.
Images courtesy of Universal
Originally, “The Bad Guys” flew under the radar. When the movie came out in 2022, I feel like it wasn’t talked about, but the people who saw it all said they enjoyed it. Including myself. My wife and I went on a whim, and I remember we walked out impressed with how much fun we had. The animation, the stacked voice cast, and fun heist story seemed to be a perfect blend for what we thought was a one-off DreamWorks movie.
When Universal announced “The Bad Guys 2,” I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure where they would go with the franchise, and due to the first film not being what you’d consider a financial success, I was a little confused. But then I found out it was based on a series of books, and my worries went away. If there’s one thing DreamWorks knows how to do, it’s make a good animated film based on a children’s book (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Wild Robot” …).
Just like the first film, “The Bad Guys 2” is beautifully animated, proving DreamWorks is fully committed to this new form of layered animation, similar to the “Spider-Verse” franchise. There were multiple moments in the film that had my eyes widen with how wild it looked from an animation point of view, specifically a shot regarding the takeoff of a space shuttle.
Another thing about the animation is the characters all feel different, which they are. I just mean each character has a specific look and feel that matches their voice and personality. Too many times do you go animated movie where the characters were created and then they just cast an extremely popular actor. While the voice cast in “The Bad Guys 2” is stellar, their look and mannerisms of their characters perfectly fit their voice.
In terms of an animated film, “The Bad Guys 2” never becomes too “childish” which is always a plus. You can always judge an animated movie by how childish it is by the amount of fart jokes that are in the film. While “The Bad Guys 2” has a few fart jokes, it only takes it too far once, which is far less than some other animated films that I’ve seen.
“The Bad Guys 2” felt like “Oceans 11” for kids, with a splash of “Fast & Furious,” and makes for a good time for the family to round out this great summer of movies. If you haven’t given the original film a chance, I would recommend checking it out and heading to the theaters for “The Bad Guys 2” before it leaves for streaming. (Keep your eyes peeled for Mr. Wolf at Universal Studios Florida, too.)
SCORE: “The Bad Guys 2,” 3.5/5
“The Bad Guys 2” is rated PG and is in theaters & available on digital home video now! There are no post-credit scenes.
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