For many of the major animation studios, it can be hard to make a film that stands out from the norm. In recent years, audiences have complained that Pixar’s characters look like they’re part of a stock style, and similarly, Disney often doesn’t mix up the look of their films too much. This isn’t always a problem — a Studio Ghibli film always looks like a Studio Ghibli film and that’s a good thing — but sometimes, it can be hard for an animated movie to break from the mold. DreamWorks Animation has gotten better about this in recent years, and for every Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken or Trolls movie, there’s The Wild Robot, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, or Orion and the Dark to break from the norm. Back in 2022, The Bad Guys burst onto the screen, taking a stylistic approach to adapting the books of Aaron Blabey, and the result was visually stunning. Almost like a combination of Ocean’s 11 and Lupin the Third, The Bad Guys was a rarity: a mainstream animated action film that was actually gorgeous to look at, fun to follow, and more focused on character moments than quick gags and attempts to sell merchandise. While the film was only a moderate success for DreamWorks Animation, thankfully, the film has received a sequel in The Bad Guys 2, a film that doubles down on the cool style and fun adventures, even if it occasionally skimps on the focus on character that made the original such a pleasant surprise.
What Is ‘The Bad Guys 2’ About?

When we last saw the criminal team known as The Bad Guys, they had decided to hand themselves in, turn over a new leaf, and become actual good guys. Led by Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell) and including the safe-cracking Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), master of disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), and the group’s muscle Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), the gang went to jail, knowing when they got out, they’d go down a more honest path. But fresh out of jail, the Bad Guys aren’t doing so great. With an impressive criminal record, the entire team is struggling to find jobs. However, their desire to be good might be for nothing as another criminal, known as the Phantom Bandit, is leaving calling cards at crimes that are similar to the Bad Guys in their heyday. To help clear their names and prove to the world that they’re not so bad anymore, The Bad Guys team up with police commissioner Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein) to try and take down this mysterious new criminal.
‘The Bad Guys 2’ Is One of DreamWorks Animation’s Best-Looking Films

DreamWorks Animation has really upped the ante on their films in recent years, but The Bad Guys 2 is right up there with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Wild Robot in terms of gorgeous animation. Every frame of The Bad Guys 2 is constantly in motion and packed with action. Highly inspired by anime, and with a coolness that permeates every action, it’s impossible to take your eyes off the action. For example, in the opening moments, the film throws us right into one of the team’s old heists, which grabs you immediately with its slick style, multiple moving parts, and clever twists. The Bad Guys 2 is packed with stunning set pieces like this. One sequence at a Lucha match ends in a giant wave of people that is brilliantly animated, and the final third, which sees these characters heading to space, includes some genuinely jaw-dropping visual moments. Even though The Bad Guys 2, by director Pierre Perifel and co-director JP Sans, often wears its inspirations on its sleeve, this sequel also has a style that is wholly unlike what we’re used to with modern big-budget animated projects — and is better for it.
‘The Bad Guys 2’s Voice Cast Is Fantastic, but It Spreads the Film a Bit Too Thin

Image via DreamWorks Animation

The Bad Guys 2, as is customary in animated sequels, expands its roster of talent, and the additions are all wonderful. Most notably, we’re introduced to a group of three female characters: Danielle Brooks as Kitty Kat; Pigtail Petrova, played by Maria Bakalova; and Susan, who is also Snake’s love interest, voiced by Natasha Lyonne. These three fit nicely into this world, and it’s especially a delight to hear Marc Maron and Lyonne playing off each other as this unusual couple of a snake and a raven. But because there are so many characters, there are a lot of stories to balance, and it can feel like a bit too much. Also returning is Zazie Beetz as Governor Diane Foxington, who was once known as the criminal Crimson Paw. This time around, she’s Wolf’s love interest, and she’s also trying to keep her previous criminal identity hidden. It can’t help but seem like an added storyline that this already packed narrative doesn’t need. The Bad Guys was also a success because it could take the time to calm things down and have surprising character moments one might not expect from an animated film. The original movie began with a Pulp Fiction-referencing scene between Wolf and Snake, and it felt almost unnatural for an animated movie to focus on dialogue and character dynamics for several minutes. There isn’t really time for that, though, this go-around, and it’s a bit of a shame, especially as this team is trying to figure out what their next steps should be. There is the opportunity for quieter moments of vulnerability, but it doesn’t fully make use of them. It’s not a glaring omission in the screenplay by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen, but compared to the first film, it is a bit of a letdown. It is also easy for some of these characters to get a bit lost amongst all the action and not get the same amount of time as they once did. Tarantula, Shark, and Piranha each get some fun gags, but they rarely receive moments of their own outside the team, which isn’t the case with Wolf and Snake. Again, the voice cast here is excellent across the board, especially Sam Rockwell as the sly Mr. Wolf. However, while the first film felt like a bunch of individuals comprising a team, The Bad Guys 2 is a team first, without many opportunities to see the individuals. Yet The Bad Guys 2 is certainly bigger and more ambitious than the first film, and makes up for how overextended this film can get at times. The heists are just as good as any you’d see in a live-action film, the uniqueness of these characters is always a delight, and the message of doing what’s right even if it’s extremely difficult and almost impossible is handled extremely well. The Bad Guys movies might not be as massively popular as some of DreamWorks Animation’s other major franchises, but The Bad Guys 2 proves that it definitely should be. The Bad Guys 2 is now playing in theaters.

The Bad Guys 2

The Bad Guys 2 is a gorgeous, fun animated film that occasionally spreads itself too thin.

Release Date

August 1, 2025

Runtime

102 Minutes

Director

Pierre Perifel

Writers

Pierre Perifel, Aaron Blabey

Pros & Cons

Few DreamWorks Animation films look as good as this.
The entire cast, including the new crew, are an absolute delight.
The Bad Guys 2 makes heists just as exciting as they are in live-action films.

So many characters and stories makes this sometimes feel like it’s spread too thin.
Doesn’t have the same focus on individual characters as the first one did.