The one thing DreamWorks consistently does better than Pixar is sequels. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Shrek 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, all follow-ups that feel like natural expansions of the original stories, as if they were always part of the plan, something that Pixar only nailed on the Toy Story and Inside Out franchises. In many cases, they even end up being the superior alternative – a pattern that holds even in their less successful films, with the one true exception being the How to Train Your Dragon series. The Bad Guys 2 follows the trend. It’s a true continuation that feels like the first film just kept going. The animation style remains as beautiful and impressive as ever, the characters face new challenges and have room to grow, and while the action and antics are bigger, it never loses the laid-back nature of the original.
It kicks off with an absolute riot of a chase sequence showing Ms. Tarantula’s first mission with the team (in what might be my favorite animated action set piece since the one-shot masterclass in 2011’s The Adventures of Tintin), a stylish and energetic way to drop us back into this world and remind us of the group’s dynamics. The story then jumps to the present, where the Bad Guys are no longer bad. After paying the price for their past crimes and serving time in jail in the previous film, they’re now trying to go straight. But, in true Jean Valjean fashion, honest work is hard to come by… until they get roped into, of course, one last heist.
Like the first, the film remains character-focused throughout, giving each member of the group at least one or two solid jokes while keeping their chemistry fully intact. A big part of the joy continues to be how genuinely unpredictable they are, with characters acting in surprising ways quite often. They’re still not DreamWorks’ most iconic crew, but they’re consistently fun to watch, and the voice cast continues to do great work. Sam Rockwell and Marc Maron are once again the standouts, and Awkwafina, thankfully, is kept in the background.
There are new antagonists with a clever plan that, in the climax, shifts the film from a Guy Ritchie, style parody into full-on late-60s Bond villain territory, reaching even Kingsman-level absurdity. Although they’re competent foes for our heroes, they’re not exactly used to push the main characters into new emotional territory. The film briefly hints at an interesting dynamic between the leaders of the two groups, but it doesn’t land and ends up mostly forgotten (a missed opportunity to explore how society often fails to give second chances). Aside from the admittedly very funny relationship between Mr. Snake and “Susan,” the villains serve the plot and provide just enough of a challenge to keep things moving, though without leaving much of a lasting impression.
But by far, the craft remains the highlight. Daniel Pemberton’s caper score still entertains, and the editing is fast and precise, but it’s the visual gags and attention to detail that truly stand out. The film is packed with clever touches and background jokes, so much so that it’s easy to miss a few. Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments like Mr. Snake getting balloon-twisted, Mr. Shark’s constant anxious reactions, the layers of detail packed into the lucha libre sequence, subtle world-building flourishes unfolding in the background, or basically any scene involving Misty Luggins are the kinds of touches that really make it a winner.
Overall, The Bad Guys 2 is simply a very good time. It’s bursting with energy, made with care, and packed with style. Like the first, it may not be the most remarkable film in the DreamWorks catalog, but it knows exactly what it’s going for, and pulls it off with confidence and real pizzazz.