© DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Gru and the Minions had little trouble going straight. Deckard Shaw also convincingly crossed over to the good side in Fast and Furious franchise. It just doesn’t seem fair that Mr. Wolf and his colleagues have so much trouble putting their criminal pasts behind them. Maybe people just get hung up on their nickname: “The Bad Guys.” Their hearts are still in the right place, but their skill sets remain inconveniently attractive to other anthropomorphic animals in their old illicit line of work. Consequently, the endearing crooks must accept an offer they cannot refuse in Pierre Perifel & JP Sans’ The Bad Guys 2, based on Aaron Blabey’s children’s books and produced by DreamWorks Animation, which opens nationwide in theaters this Friday.

Mr. Wolf is a talented pickpocket and “evasive” driver, who remains the Bad Guys’ ringleader, even now that they are on the straight and narrow. He is also a smooth talker, but somehow, potential employers just won’t give him a chance. Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula, are not having much luck either. Frankly, Mr. Snake hardly seems to be trying, preferring to spend his time romancing his new girlfriend, Susan, a crow.



Wolf also has a potential love interest, but he and Diane Foxington must play it cool. Foxington currently serves as their state’s governor, but Wolf and the Bad Guys know her secret history. Foxington was the notorious cat burglar (even though she is a fox) dubbed the “Crimson Paw.”

The loyal Wolf will keep her secret no matter what. Unfortunately, that makes the Bad Guys susceptible to the blackmailing “Bad Girls.” The trio of talking animal villainesses (led by Kitty Kat, an especially devious snow leopard) have framed the Bad Guys for their recent heists and threaten to reveal Foxington’s secret identity if the Bad Guys refuse to help them pull off a really big score.

© DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

In fact, this caper is so big, it brings to mind the climax of Fast & Furious’s F9. Likewise, the flashback prologue echoes the over-the-top Dubai scene in Furious 7. Ironically, the action sequences look slightly more grounded in Bad Guys 2, even though it is meant to be a silly cartoon.

Indeed, much of the humor leans towards the slapstick, which will more likely entertain younger viewers than their parents. Yet, Sam Rockwell invests Mr. Wolf with roguish Eddie Haskell-like charm that older animation fans should appreciate. Rockwell continues to be the lead voice of The Bad Guys, which serves the franchise well.

Wolf’s sheepish courtship of Gov. Foxington also adds an appealing “human” element. However, the humor involving Shark’s clumsiness and Piranha’s flatulence definitely represent the broad, goofy end of the humor spectrum. (In case you were wondering, piranhas really do fart. Your AI of choice will verify that—and then it will mock you for asking).

© DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Regardless, Rockwell and Zazie Beetz, who gives voice to Foxington, breathe a lot of life into the film. Akwafina’s reliably droll and caustic tones also perfectly suit Tarantula. Anthony Ramos’s voiceovers for Piranha are surprisingly manic (compared to his recent on-screen work), but they can be a bit too much. The same is true of Craig Robinson’s Mr. Shark, but to a somewhat lesser degree. Regrettably, Marc Maron vocal performance as Snake sounds like a pale wannabe tough guy Sopranos imitation. Again, kids probably will not mind his shtickiness, but it might represent a barrier for adult crossover viewers.

Regardless, Perifel and Sans keep the pacing snappy. Arguably, Wolf’s insuppressible optimism should endear the film to many older viewers, even though it clearly targets more juvenile audiences. That makes logical sense, considering Blabey’s original books were written for ages 6 to 10. Crime does not pay in the Bad Guys films, but it provides a lot of nutty but clean (and thematically unobjectionable) fun. Recommended as upbeat family entertainment, The Bad Guys 2 opens this Friday (8/1) in theaters.
Grade: B-

If you like the review of the film, share your thoughts below!

Check out more of Joe’s articles. 

Here’s the trailer of the film.