The good news for fans of The Bad Guys? The sequel looks stellar. The bad news? That’s mostly because a big chunk of it takes place in—seriously?—outer space. The Bad Guys 2 has officially lost its moorings.
Returning director Pierre Perifel, writers Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen, and the original voice cast do what nearly every sequel does: crank everything up to eleven, chase the same emotional beats, and pile on a world-saving plot that feels more chaotic than clever. Watching this franchise drift so far—and so expensively—into orbit is tough.
Last time, they walked out of prison early for good behavior, determined to leave their criminal past behind. Easier said than done—especially when job interviews involve explaining gaps in employment, trust issues, and salary expectations. No one’s eager to hire ex-cons.
“Anyone who wants to change has to start somewhere,” pleads Mr. Wolf, turning on the Clooney-esque charm. “I’m just asking for a chance.”
Four of them struggle with the straight-and-narrow, but not Mr. Snake—Maron nails the grouchy, self-loathing vibe. Now he’s all about Vinyasa yoga, wheatgrass kombucha, and saying “namaste” while listening to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” He’s even more irritating than before.
Soon, the crew is ensnared in traps and double-crosses by a new team: Danielle Brooks as a lollipop-licking snow leopard, Maria Bakalova as a Bulgarian wild boar engineer, and Natasha Lyonne as a wry raven (with her signature Poker Face vocal tick). Their scheme? Get rich off a substance called MacGuffinite—a wink at the classic plot-driving object.
Cue a detour to a Mexican wrestling festival, a wedding crash, and a race to stop a rocket owned by an Elon Musk-like billionaire (voiced by Colin Jost) before a gadget onboard triggers a “24-carat catastrophe.”
Visually, the animation dazzles—every detail pops, from bugs glowing in moonlight to the jittery bounce of a truck on asphalt. The franchise’s love for Looney Tunes-style car chases remains intact, as do Piranha’s signature green air farts.
Based on Aaron Blabey’s hit graphic novels, the first film explored good vs. evil with wit and charm. This time, the writers abandon that moral tug-of-war. “Are we bad again?” asks a confused Piranha. Mr. Wolf shrugs: “We’re all over the place.” Big questions—like whether doing wrong for a greater good is ever justified—go unanswered. Instead, we get lines like: “We’ve got one shot to save the world. Let’s make it count!” The first movie would have mocked that.
The cameos pile up: Zazie Beetz returns as Gov. Diane Foxington, Alex Borstein as the top cop, even the kitten from the first film meows again. Richard Ayoade’s Professor Marmalade is back too—now swole and tattooed in prison—stealing scenes and teasing a likely Bad Guys 3.
The original was a sharp send-up of Tarantino and Ocean’s 11. This time, the targets are Fast & Furious, Silence of the Lambs, Men in Black, and maybe Moonraker. But the satire feels flat. The soundtrack, at least, slaps—Busta Rhymes, Sofi Tukker, Rag’n’Bone Man—but the tone is darker, the violence more intense, and younger viewers might find the new villains a bit much.
Bottom line? The team behind The Bad Guys 2 aimed for the stars—literally—but missed the mark.
Rating: ★½ out of 4
Running time: 104 minutes
Rated PG for action, mild violence, rude humor, and language
____
