Reformed criminals Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula are trying very hard to be good. However, they soon find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes heist that's masterminded by a new team of delinquents they never saw coming -- the Bad Girls.
Director: Pierre Perifel
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova, Natasha Lyonne
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Mystery
Rated PG for action/mild violence, rude humor and language.
Runtime: 1h 44m
Review:
The Bad Guys 2 is an energetic follow up to the original that's more than capable of standing on its own two feet with bigger action sequences, paired with a fun script and confident voicework from its cast. Pierre Perifel follows up his original film with another blast of colorful, kinetic pop that's able to deliver fun for kids and adults alike. The film's animated Ocean's Eleven energy is a fun departure from the standard family fare. It’s still got a solid underlying message about finding redemption after making mistakes but it’s never overly didactic in its messaging which allows it to keep an adventurous sense of fun. Sam Rockwell, Craig Robinson, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos and Marc Maron all return from the original as the titular Bad Guys who are now finding their way after they've reformed. They share an established chemistry together that works well for the story especially when the script lets them bounce back and forth with slyly witty dialogue. Sam Rockwell again serves as the film's backbone as the Wolf who still possess the natural confidence from the first film, but the character is given some actual growth as he tries to navigate the straight and narrow while keeping his crew together. Danielle Brooks is a perfect foil to his character as a fan/competitor who drags him back for one last heist by blackmailing him. Brooks brings a similar sort of confidence as the leader of the Bad Girls who feels wants to leave her mark regardless of the consequences. Maria Bakalova and Natasha Lyonne are fun as her lackey's although the script gives them the short end of the stick with neither getting fleshed out the way the other characters are. Lyonne manages to make the most of scenes especially early when paired with Marc Maron's Snake. Once we arrive at the extended final act, the film starts to lose a bit of steam as it struggles with the same energy which could have been fixed with some judicious editing to knockdown the film's runtime by 15 minutes or so. That being said The Bad Guys 2 proves to be one of the better animated sequences that improves on nearly everything that made the original work.
B+
