The Bad Guys (2022)

By: Mike Ward on Thursday, April 21

PG Running Time: 100 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Fans of Aaron Blabey’s book series will find a lot to enjoy in this cinematic adaptation of his funny and acclaimed stories.

  • The Bad Guys has a stellar voiceover cast to help make this go-for-broke action comedy a whole lot of fun.

  • Though not quite on par with the work of Disney and Pixar, the vivid and colorful animation is a feast for the eyes, as is a jazz-tinged score and lots of amusing jokes and a heist/caper-style feel about it.

NO

  • The energy exhibited throughout The Bad Guys may be a drain, as the film seldom stops moving through a frequently frenzied pace.

  • Though kids may remain surprised, a plot twist seems so obvious and so telegraphed, impatience becomes a nemesis for the viewer as we will see where this is going from a mile away.

  • You simply cannot enjoy animated movies, much less those with talking animals.


OUR REVIEW

Something of a makeshift Ocean’s Eleven, with anthropomorphized talking animals, The Bad Guys is the newest DreamWorks Animation movie to throw a whole lot of color, attitude, and moxie at the screen looking to see what sticks. Much of this heist/caper flick does indeed stick, with considerable humor, inventive set pieces and great voiceover work from a truly talented cast.

Set up for at least one sequel, The Bad Guys is adapted from Aaron Blabey’s fifteen-story graphic novel series of the same name. Sam Rockwell stars as Mr. Wolf, the ringleader of “The Bad Guys” gang who orchestrates, plots, and schemes the robberies and burglaries which have his team feared in a present-day Los Angeles where animals and humans walk, talk, and mingle together.

A clever opening sequence gives us a wonderful introduction to these characters, though the film begins at breakneck speed and never really slows down. At times, The Bad Guys can feel like it’s being watched/shown/displayed at a slightly faster clip then intended. Rockwell is key in constantly grounding the film, as his steady, amusing, slightly arrogant bravado steadies the proceedings and gives us a central character to reset and focus on.

He is joined by the dastardly Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), tech wizard Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), the heavy of the group, Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and master of disguises, Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson). In recent interviews, Rockwell has described this project as “Reservoir Dogs for kids,” which is a fine-enough analogy I suppose. But grown-ups rest assured - The Bad Guys lacks any swearing, graphic violence, or the severing of a man’s ear in an abandoned warehouse.

Wolf appears unflappable, always thinking one or two steps ahead, and a master pickpocket. Tucked away in a secret hideout all their own, “The Bad Guys” have achieved astonishing success. Mr. Wolf, however, has one more heist he cannot wait to pull off.

After a bank robbery draws the public ire of Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz), Wolf wants to capture the holy grail for all Los Angeles criminals - the Golden Dolphin. Offered from a local charity, previous attempts to steal the award have failed miserably in the past. However, Wolf believes he and his team can pull off the impossible and show Foxington and intense police chief Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein) they simply can never be stopped.

The animation pops, the colors are vivid. A jazz-infused spy movie score by Daniel Pemberton not only heightens the stakes but adds to the overall humorous vibe first-time director Pierre Perifel captures often and well.

A wrinkle in “The Bad Guys” master plan appears when they cross paths with a charming guinea pig and philanthropist, Richard Marmalade IV (Richard Ayoade). Marmalade is the recipient of this particular year’s Golden Dolphin, and when things go sideways for the gang of thieves, Marmalade vows to rehabilitate the crew with the support of the Governor and local police.

Can “The Bad Guys” go clean and reform their terrible ways? Can Marmalade succeed? And who is this mythical Crimson Paw that people are talking about?

These answers and others come quickly enough. Younger viewers will likely be hooked on the sizzle of the film - the dizzying action, rapid-fire wit, and the chemistry generated among all the characters.

And yet for all the fun and charm the movie delivers, the screenplay unfortunately lacks genuine surprises, novel concepts or ideas. Kids likely won’t care, there’s plenty here for them to continuously laugh and smile. They also, most likely, haven’t seen Ocean’s Eleven and will not see the connections between Sam Rockwell’s Mr. Wolf and George Clooney’s Danny Ocean. Younger viewers will also not recognize the opening scene of the film is an homage to the diner discussion scenes which bookend Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

Instead of locking into one narrative approach, trying to please kids and adults separately does dilute the overall effectiveness. Weaker elements bubble close to the surface. However, Perifel is a smart enough director to double-down on charm, humor, and strong performances from his talented cast.

In the end…turns out these “Bad Guys” maybe aren’t so bad after all.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, Lilly Singh, Barbara Goodson

Director: Pierre Perifel
Written by: Etan Cohen (screenplay); Yoni Brenner, HIlary Winston (additional screenplay)
Adapted from the graphic-novel series “The Bad Guys” by Aaron Blabey
Release Date: April 22, 2022
Universal Pictures