The Bad Guys 2

When it comes to measuring success in cinema, I think there are a few ways to determine it. The first is through awards—something that, for the most part, seems reserved for smaller, more prestigious films. The second is box office success. If your movie makes money, there’s a good chance you’ll get to make another one.

Three years ago, we were introduced to The Bad Guys, a group that showed us that they weren’t so bad after all—maybe they were just drawn that way. Now, after earning $250 million at the worldwide box office, the former gang of thieves is back. This time around, they’re finding out that breaking “good” is harder than it looks.

For Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), rejection hits a new low as he applies for a job at a bank he and his crew had previously robbed—three times. That’s the breaks, and no one is taking his rehabilitation seriously enough to give him a job. No one believes in him except Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz), who knows who Mr. Wolf really is. To make matters worse, a series of crimes are taking place that bear the hallmarks of The Bad Guys—crimes that they had nothing to do with.

That’s when Mr. Wolf gets an idea and proposes a plan to Chief Luggins (Alex Borstein): let him and his gang figure out who’s behind the thefts. So together with Shark (Craig Robinson), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Snake (Marc Maron), Wolf sets out to track down the real villains. Things seem to go according to plan—until they don’t. These new criminals have a far grander scheme in mind, and Mr. Wolf and his gang are about to take the fall for it.

Written by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen, and based on Aaron Blabey’s books, The Bad Guys 2 delivers its familiar message of redemption and friendship—with a few good old-fashioned fart jokes thrown in for good measure. Most people deserve a second chance, and these bad guys definitely do. No matter how hard change is, they’re fighting the good fight.

Brenner and Cohen don’t forget the adults either, throwing in plenty of clever nods to film classics—from Hitchcock to The Silence of the Lambs—making sure there’s something for everyone. With vibrant, stylized animation, The Bad Guys 2 is a sequel that’s at least on par with, if not better than, the original.

The film elevates the series with top-notch action. And while the plot changes lanes a bit too quickly at times, it never loses its sentiment. The voice cast is pitch-perfect, led by Rockwell, who anchors the film beautifully. Newcomer Danielle Brooks also stands out with a fresh voice. Much like that other Universal franchise about a family of criminals-turned-good (Fast & Furious), you get plenty of high-octane action—complete with a trip to space, keeping those comparisons more in line that you might think.

Visually, the film is a stunner. It has a near-lifelike presence, especially in its movement, which makes the action sequences shine even brighter. This is one franchise that finally feels like it has its legs under it. And based on the ending, I anticipate more good and ‘bad’ times lay ahead with this crew. Count me in for the next adventure—especially if it keeps up its clever silliness and undeniable charm. Once again, in the case bad means good.