The Bad Guys 2 (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – The Bad Guys are struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys, when they are pulled out of retirement and forced to do “one last job” by an all-female squad of criminals.

My Take – Released in 2022, The Bad Guys turned out to be a surprisingly solid animated heist flick that blended slick visuals and sharp humor. Acting as an animated-riff on the Ocean’s series, the film ended up appealing to both kids and adults. And being a box office success, naturally, a sequel was always going to be inbound, however, I never expected the results to be this good.

Doubling on whatever worked the first time around, returning director Pierre Perifel, who is working from a screenplay by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen, successfully builds on the original’s style and tone while expanding its universe with intriguing new characters. It ramps up the winning charms of its predecessor, while achieving the same fast pace and snappy editing at a grander scale.

Sure, it occasionally stumbles in pacing, with its overstuffed plotting, and the big showcase moments are more convoluted here, but it is all done in a way that allows the very talented animation team to pull bigger battles and laughs from a greater number of moving pieces. Even things that didn’t work in the first film, like its occasionally corny sense of humor, have improved, offering gags that are less broad, but not too niche, either.

For families, it’s still a vibrant and entertaining ride, offering plenty of laughs and action for younger viewers, and enough wit and style to keep adults engaged. For animation fans, it remains a showcase of DreamWorks’ willingness to experiment with visual identity, standing apart from the more conventional styles of its competitors.

Opening with a Cairo based prologue from five years ago, the story once again follows the gang of criminal predators known as the Bad Guys, which consists of leader Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), safe cracker Mr. Snake (voiced by Marc Maron), comically inappropriate master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson), quick-tempered Mr. Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos) and hacker Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina), who have been released from prison and are attempting to go straight. But given their past, it is proving very difficult.

However, they find themselves pulled back into another job when they end up getting framed for a series of daring heists, involving a precious metal called MacGuffinite, by a trio of female criminals: snow leopard Kitty Kat (voiced by Danielle Brooks), their ruthless leader; wild boar Pigtail (voiced by Maria Bakalova), their science wizard; and raven Doom (voiced by Natasha Lyonne), with whom Mr. Snake has been romantically involved. What follows is navigating shady alliances, complicated friendships, and some over-the-top schemes to save the day.

Along the way, there are colorful episodes galore, including one involving a Mexican wrestling match, and the return of numerous supporting characters from the first film.

One highlight involves Wolf’s love interest, the literally and figuratively foxy Governor Foxington (voiced by Zazie Beetz), visiting the villainous Professor Marmalade (voiced by Richard Ayoade) in prison looking for advice. Now seriously bulked-up, the massive guinea pig greets her like a rodent Hannibal Lecter.

While the plot itself can be a bit scatterbrained and not as tightly focused as the original, it does a good job continuing the story threads from the first film, making this feel like a proper sequel rather than a rehash.

The sequel’s script leans heavily into the banter and mismatched camaraderie that made the first film so charming. Witty exchanges fly fast, and younger viewers will appreciate the physical gags, while adults will catch the clever pop-culture nods and sly asides. Still, for all its snappy dialogue, there’s a slight sense of déjà vu in the story beats.

The introduction of the Bad Girls is an absolute win – each character is sharply written, stylish, and dangerous in all the right ways. They bring a new layer of conflict and excitement, especially in their tense dynamic with the original crew.

The animation style, once again leaning into a hybrid look of 2D-inspired textures with 3D depth, remains a standout—giving the film a unique visual identity in the crowded animated marketplace. Fast camera sweeps, dynamic angles, and bold color palettes bring the world to life in a way that feels almost comic-book in energy.

The voice performances are once again stellar across the board. Sam Rockwell continues to be a perfect fit as Wolf, bringing charm and depth to the character. Marc Maron’s grumpy, sarcastic Snake providing the perfect counterpoint. Anthony Ramos, Craig Robinson, Zazie Beetz, Richard Ayoade and Awkwafina all reprise their roles with gusto, their comedic rhythms still snappy and fresh.

The addition of Danielle Brooks, Maria Bakalova, and Natasha Lyonne as a rival team of all-female criminals injects a welcome jolt of new energy into the mix, even if their screen time sometimes feels unevenly balanced. On the whole, ‘The Bad Guys 2‘ is a solid animated sequel that takes what was great about the first film and ramps it up by being further stylish, clever, and colorful.