The Bad Guys 2, a sequel to the hit animated film based on Aaron Blabey’s graphic novels, opens with a thrilling Cairo car chase and quickly escalates into a globe-trotting, space-bound heist
The Bad Guy 2
Film: The Bad Guys 2 (animation)
Cast(voices): Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova, Natasha Lyonne
Director: Pierre Perifel
Rating: 3/5
Runtime: 104 min
This sequel to The Bad Guys, the hit animated film adapted from Aaron Blabey’s best-selling graphic book series, begins with an attempt to go bigger and better than its predecessor. The narrative begins with an elaborate caper and car chase through the streets of Cairo. It’s a sequence straight out of a mainstream action film.
The anthropomorphised animal criminal group — consisting of leader Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), quick-tempered Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) — have been released from prison and are attempting to go straight. But soon enough, they find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by The Bad Girls, consisting of a ruthless leader, snow leopard Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks) ; science wizard wild boar Pigtail (Maria Bakalova), and raven Doom (Natasha Lyonne), with whom Mr. Snake has been romantically involved.
The reformed bad guys find it impossible to get a job. No one is willing to stand up for them. Their past invariably begins to define their future, and they get caught up in the act of recidivism. Mr. Wolf, with his yellow eyes and gleaming teeth, is dripping sweetness until they get trapped into hijacking the Moon X rocket ship.
This caper, involving tech billionaire (Colin Jost), has a James Bond ‘Moonraker’- like feel to the story. They go into outer space in an attempt to steal the world’s entire supply of gold with the help of a powerful magnet.
There are several enjoyable interludes involving many of the supporting characters from the first film. A wrestling match, the wedding heist are laugh-out-loud sequences, while Wolf’s love interest foxy Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz), Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade), are in it for a thorough ribbing.
The screenplay by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen is pretty smart. The sly one-liners are delivered beautifully by a stellar ensemble of voice performers like Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, Craig Robinson, Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova, and Natasha Lyonne. All of them invest their portrayals with terrific flair.
The numerous fart jokes courtesy of Mr. Piranha are in bad taste, but there are moments when you are able to laugh along with them. The Bad Guys 2 manages to garner even more laughs with Daniel Pemberton’s score lending lively support.
The production design, the design of the cars, and the space shuttle are enviable. This animated action-comedy is fast-paced and loud and has a silly enough story to keep the young ones enthralled. Raucous chases, fights and adventures in colourful, vivid animation are part of the inveigling mayhem.
The elegant, finely tuned world created by the film’s French director, Pierre Perifel & JP Sans, is intimately credible. The attempt at an epic finale, though, comes a cropper. The climactic sequence has our heroes swirl around in space as Kitty Kat’s ultra-magnet attracts all the gold from Earth below. It’s not as well thought out or rendered as what came before. But it manages to create space for the expansion of the franchise into more adult-friendly issues.
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