A MoonX launch, a billionaire wedding, a metal that attracts gold called ‘Macguffinite’, a rocket, a space station, etc etc. As Mr Wolf (Rockwell) says in The Bad Guys 2, the trick lies “not in the action, but the distraction”. And distract, this breezy sequel to 2022’s The Bad Guys does very, very well.
Starting with Wolf, this is a bunch of ultra-smooth, ultra-likeable, ultra-witty former “bad guys” trying to be good – and finding the going tough. It’s not easy to land a job when the qualification in your resume is, say, picking a lock.
With that as the premise, and some dishy romance thrown in, The Bad Guys 2 ensures audiences across ages will be entertained. If Rockwell in his superbly tailored suits is the standout as the leader of the gang, Maron as the amorous Mr Snake, Ramos as Mr Piranha with the farting problem, Robinson as the panicky Mr Shark, and, of course, Awkwafina as Ms Tarantula with her eight legs all the better to hack with are sporting company.
Beetz is the sexy fox, Diane, the city’s Governor with a secret past and a present (and future) with Mr Wolf. Borstein as the Commissioner with a soft corner for the Bad Guys gang is equally smooth.
When you think this DreamWorks Animation can’t do better, Brooks as Kitty Kat, the really bad snow leopard, lifts the film several notches up. As her sidekick and Mr Snake’s crush, Susan a.k.a Doom, Lyonne is a tantalising shape-shifter.
The plot that focuses on its interesting characters and keeps it pleasingly simple gets unnecessarily twisted when the story heads into space – a frontier where every Hollywood film seems to be headed these days.
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However, at all times, the paws and claws of its good-bad or bad-good guys are firmly planted on Earth. If they drink kombucha, they also love their lollipops.
The Bad Guys 2 movie director: Pierre Perifel, J P Sans
The Bad Guys 2 voice cast: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne
The Bad Guys 2 movie rating: 3 stars
