Divalicious Review: The Bad Guys 2 Is a Joyous, Explosive Animated Sequel
By Caroline Cao | August 8, 2025 | Celebrity & Culture
Director Pierre Perifel is gonna snag one of the “Best Breakout Comedic Director” titles. His directorial work, Bad Guys 2 by DreamWorks Animation Studios (loosely based on Aaron Blabey‘s books), is pretty fun, mixing up 2-D sensibilities with 3D precision.
Our anthropomorphic gang is back, and they’re having trouble adjusting to the reformed life after their career of crime. Mr Wolf (Sam Rockwell, wearing the George Clooney charm) makes the rookie mistake of applying for a job at a bank he robbed. His other friends, Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) are having a tough time in the job market, although Mr. Snake (Marc Maron) snags himself a girlfriend.
But then they’re forcibly framed and then shanghaied into the latest dastardly heist by a supercriminal, the snow leopard (Danielle Brooks, an evil delight) and her gang (Natasha Lyonne as the raven Susan and Maria Bakalova as the boar Pigtail Petrova).
Screenplay writers Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen pack in so much that it would initially read as convoluted, but The Bad Guys 2 turns the paper stuffiness into a visual opportunity. It’s astounding how quickly the sequences marathon to the next sight gag in a “how will they do it” fashion.
First, the film opens on a thrilling car jacking before plunging into its eye-popping setpieces that include a wrestling match and a crash into a billionaire’s wedding that involves a bride switch-up. If a heist to steal a rocket ship (loosely based on SpaceX) wasn’t ludicrous enough, wait til the film flies into space. I guess you could make the joke that The Bad Guys 2 rocketed into the “The Bad Guys in Space!” sequel stage.
If there’s any flaw in this sequel, it feels like there’s less attention to the rumination on reformation and the nature of “badness,” but The Bad Guys 2 also makes this feel like a mere quibble. These are still likable, charismatic scoundrels we root for in ridiculous scenarios.
Around award seasons, I hope The Bad Guys 2 doesn’t slip under the radar for consideration for Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Score. And The Bad Guys 2 joyrides along to top its predecessor.
Photo credit: Dreamworks
