It can be hard to fight the stereotypes that are placed on you, especially when you are literally the big bad wolf.
“The Bad Guys” is the latest film from Dreamworks Animation. It was directed by Pierre Perifel and it acts as his directorial debut after working in animation for several years. The film was written by Etan Cohen, who also wrote “Holmes & Watson” and “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.” It’s based on the graphic novel series of the same name by Aaron Blabey.
In a city where people and animals co-exist, Mr. Wolf leads a gang of thieves called the Bad Guys composed of Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula and Mr. Piranha. After their biggest heist goes wrong, they are given a chance by the guinea pig Professor Rupert Marmalade IV and the governor Diane Foxington to change their ways and become the Good Guys.
“The Bad Guys” is an exhilarating action heist film that works for all ages. It contains beautiful animation, exciting action scenes and boisterous comedy within a film about interesting characters questioning their roles in the world.
The Bad Guys crew is voiced by Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson and Anthony Ramos. All of them give great voice performances as they instill life within these characters, making them all feel distinct. Rockwell and Maron especially make Mr. Wolf and Mr. Snake suave and villainous, along with a touch of heart and sincerity.
Along with these five, Richard Ayoade and Zazie Beetz voice Professor Marmalade and Diane Foxington. Ayoade’s unique voice fits perfectly with his character and the nature of the film. Beetz also does a great job, specifically in contrast to Rockwell’s Mr. Wolf. All in all, the voice cast is pretty stellar.
The story of the film isn’t unlike some of these films about bad guys going good, like “Megamind” and “Despicable Me” but about robbers instead of supervillains. It follows a lot of the same tropes and clichés, like the group of friends splitting up, as well as surprise characters. However, this film puts a lot of its own spin on them, while also building up to these events and twists quite well.
Most of the turns within the film are set up, some from the beginning and others naturally over the course of the movie’s story. None of it feels out of place or randomly inserted. They’re still typical story beats and twists for kid’s movies, but they are well done.
However, the themes of the movie are what boost the story. It explores what it means to fit in within society, especially when there is an immediate negative perception placed upon you. But it’s not about giving in and doing what is expected of you from the people around you (in this case, being bad). It’s about doing what feels right and what you want to do, and if that’s being good then all the better for it.
It’s about those choices that we make and having that option to decide what you want to do rather than being forced into whatever role has been assumed of you. Along with that, it’s about friendship and having each other’s backs through thick and thin. These themes are effectively presented in the film and it’s important for younger audiences who might be watching this movie to understand that.
Along with these themes, the movie itself is energetic and thrilling, using a lot of “Ocean’s Eleven” stylings to create a heist caper. There are several car chases and action sequences that have weight and excitement as they zoom throughout the city before drifting along the streets in their beefed-up muscle car. The heist elements of the film have planning and montages showing how it is supposed to go and how it actually goes, along with the classic true plan that happens without everyone knowing.
In this way, it’s refreshing to watch an animated movie that has an emphasis on action and new topics, in this case being about robbers. It feels new and exciting in that way, without talking down or rushing the quality just because it’s a kid’s film. The only aspect of the film that seems directly catered to children is some of the humor, but even then most of the movie is extremely funny with clever jokes and fantastic timing.
Finally, the animation is gorgeous. The specific style of the film looks great as it blends 3D animation with a cell-shaded look. It’s expressive, with characters using their facial and body movements to bring character and comedy into the film. The camera work and the character’s movements are incredible and impressive, using a lot of cartoonish movements to bring even more life into the film. The overall look of the movie is stunning; I could just watch the animation by itself all day.
“The Bad Guys” is an enjoyable heist caper for kids and families alike. It’s funny, thrilling and interesting as it discusses friendship and our individual roles in society. In other words, it’s a fantastic animated heist film with a heart of gold worth stealing.
The amount of quality animated films released in the past couple of years has been truly incredible. It’s been a pleasure to see the variety and artistic expression that is being portrayed in these films. Films like “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Turning Red” and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” have set a new bar for the medium of animation and what can be done within it.
“The Bad Guys” is another great step forward for these new styles and animation. Even outside of the incredible animation, the nature of the story, themes and editing captures something that we haven’t really seen in animation, at least here in the west. It feels like a “Lupin the Third” anime, specifically with its European setting and heist storylines.
Even with Disney beginning to catch up, this film still feels fresh and new. It’s also just great, and it’s sure to capture the hearts and minds of those who go and see it. At the very least, go see it for the wonderful animation.
Rating: 4/5 torches.
