The big bad wolf isn’t huffing and puffing anymore. Instead, he’s planning the perfect heists with his crew in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys.
We jump into the story with Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell) treating his friend Mr. Snake (voiced by Marc Maron) to a birthday meal just before pulling off another successful bank heist and outrunning the police.
Back at their secret lair, Mr. Wolf and Mr. Snake are joined by the rest of their crime crew – Mr. Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina) – are enjoying the media coverage of their latest job when they get the idea for the biggest heist of their career. However, after many successful years of brilliant heists, the unthinkable happens…the most-wanted villains get caught.
The quick-thinking Mr. Wolf strikes a deal with the Governor Ms. Foxington (voiced by Zazie Beetz). To keep them from going to the big house, The Bad Guys will go good. At first skeptical but convinced by the city’s ideal citizen and do-gooder, Professor Marmalade (voiced by Richard Ayoade) – an arrogant but likable guinea pig – the Governor agrees.
So, under the guidance of the Professor the Bad Guys set out to con the world into thinking they’ve turned over a new leaf. But when Mr. Wolf finds his tail wagging and getting a warm tingling feeling by doing a good deed, he starts to wonder if going good might actually be the right move after all.
Based on a series of children’s books, The Bad Guys is a slick, fast-paced, colorful animated heist film with fun, wise-cracking characters, and hilarious action scenes. It’s Looney Toons meets Oceans 11 with a wonderful voice cast.
Sam Rockwell is perfect in bringing Mr. Wolf to life, playing him as a stylish, charming conman and pickpocket whose only loyalty is to his partners in crime. Marc Maron is crabby and sly as Snake, the safecracker of the group and perhaps the baddest member of the group. The chemistry between Wolf and Snake is reminiscent of George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the Oceans films.
The animation is bright, edgy, and dynamic, with the look and feel of a well-produced Saturday morning cartoon in the same league as the classic Looney Toons or Tom and Jerry.
In addition to being highly entertaining, the film at its core has solid messages for kids about not judging a book by its cover and about staying true to your friends. Both messages are delivered without The Bad Guys ever getting preachy or heavy-handed.
Zany and clever, The Bad Guys is a crowd-pleasing, vibrant animated adventure that’s sure to have the audience laughing and rooting for this colorful pack of creatures right up until the credits roll.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: PG for action and rude humor
Release Date: April 22, 2022
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Directed By: Pierre Perifel
