The Bad Guys 2
Rating
Director
Pierre Perifel
Screenplay
Yoni Brenner, Etan Cohen
Length
1h 44m
Starring
Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, Omid Djalili, Colin Jost
MPAA Rating
PG
Original Preview
Review
Do our lovable animal friends have new observations to share in The Bad Guys 2 or do they suffer from the issues all sequels face: unoriginality?
The Bad Guys flashes back first to a heist carried out against an Egyptian tycoon. They reestablish their strengths and character quirks to remind the audiences of who they are watching. The event goes off with only a few hitches but is successful, only their illicit gains have now been wiped out. In their attempt to become the “good” guys, Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), Tarantula (Awkwafina), Shark (Craig Robinson), and Piranha (Anthony Ramos), have all fallen on hard times while Snake (Marc Meron) is obviously in love, considering his chipper attitude and seeming disinterest in the team’s plight. The only character from the prior film who seems to be doing well is Gov. Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) who has, until now, been able to keep her identity as the Crimson Paw a secret. Meanwhile, now-Commissioner Luggings (Alex Borstein) must contend with a group she doesn’t quite believe have turned over a new leaf but might have no other choice than to trust.
When a daring robbery sets them on a collision course with a new team that wants to frame them for the crime, the group bands together to clear their name and take down the threat to their safety. Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks), Pigtail Petrova (Maria Bakalova), and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) are the trio trying to enact a plan that will make them rich beyond imagining but not if the “good” guys can stop it.
The film lives and dies on its vocal talents, with the original quintet and their government/police compatriots doing solid work, and the new trio of miscreants adding compelling new personalities to the mix. The film feels like a natural successor to the prior film, bringing back its terrific villain for a few added moments of levity and suspense thanks to Richard Ayoade’s skill.
However, like most sequels, especially to those of heist thrillers, the law of diminishing returns applies. Adding so many new characters (though thankfully not another team of five) can make it difficult to keep track of all the players. They are worked in quite well by screenwriters Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen, but there’s only so much you can do with character bloat sets in. It shares a number of things in common with the inspirations behind the original, Oceans 11, not quite finding a way to overcome them but still providing some enjoyment for an audience that might grow weary of retreading the same old tire.
Like the first film, there are a few references that will likely go over kids’ heads but even for the parents of those children trying to endure the film, there are references that are probably too obscure even for them, most memorably a reference to The Thomas Crown Affair. Still, it does a decent job weighing the needs of fussy, entertainment-starved children and weary, forced-to-endure parents and finds a way to ensure everyone is entertained even when the end result pales in comparison to its predecessor.
The Bad Guys 2 is a somewhat predictable sequel that follows a well-worn path but does so inoffensively, allowing the series to breathe while still being trapped within its limited environment. The next natural progression is to turn the inevitable sequel into a spy thriller and that might not be a bad idea for how to freshen things up a bit.
Oscar Prospects
Potentials: Animated Feature
Review Written
November 6, 2025
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