The Bad Guys -- Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) -- are back. In the first film, they decided that being good was more rewarding than being criminals. As we find out in the first scene of this sequel, being good can be challenging -- at any rate, it's much less profitable. Instead of a sleek, fast car, Wolf is behind the wheel of a wreck that could break down at any minute.
Not only that, they're having trouble finding jobs. As the infamous Bad Guys, their reputation precedes them. Wolf applies for a job at a bank, not realizing that it's one of the ones he and his cohorts robbed. No one will give him or his team a chance, because even though they're "good guys" now, no one believes or trusts them.
To top it off, a new criminal known as the "Phantom Bandit" has been successful with several high level thefts, but the thefts are pinned on The Bad Guys, turning the public firmly against them.
Wolf's good friend Governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz) convinces him to continue to try to convince the public that they're really good now. Wolf decides that catching the Phantom Bandit will do the trick. He uses the team's criminal wiles to find out where the thief will hit next.
Their plans go awry and they discover that the Phantom Bandit is actually a trio of female criminals, one of whom is Snake's girlfriend. The girls threaten to expose Diane's long-kept secret if the guys don't team up with the girls for their next crime. Faithful to his friend, Wolf agrees, but only for this one-time crime.
There's plenty of adventure, car chases, crazy stunts and clever quips (that adults will enjoy). The energetic five-year-old who attended the advanced screening with me was enthralled by the film -- and this is a boy who rarely sits still -- but this film managed to get his attention and keep it throughout.
Like the award-winning box-office success The Bad Guys, this sequel is an animated film that doesn't aim to entertain only one segment of an audience -- it's equally entertaining for everyone -- adults included.
Based on the highly successful books by author Aaron Blabey (who's also an executive producer on the film), The Bad Guys 2 opens in theaters on Friday, August 1st. Click here for our interview with the charming Aaron Blabey.
If you've seen The Bad Guys 2 and would like to rate/review it yourself, click here. ~Alexandra Heilbron
5 out of 5 stars.
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