I’ll come right out and say it, I’d not heard of or read any of the children’s book series that this film was based on. I know, I know…it’s perplexing isn’t it? A movie reviewer in his 50’s with kids in their early 30’s isn’t up to snuff with the current kids book series. Kidding aside, I’m still a sucker for a good animated film as most work well for adults and their kids. That and if you consider how much work it takes to make a feature-length film, I’m always about giving them a chance. Add to that, The Bad Guys 2 follows up the oddly successful first one. And it too seems to hint at the fact that being bad can feel pretty good sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think kids are going to watch this and turn to a life of crime, the characters do have redeeming qualities, but this isn’t your average Pixar movie. In fact, it’s not a Pixar movie at all. Let’s dive in.
The gang’s all back, literally, as the titular group returns from the last film. They’ve been newly-released from prison and are attempting to stay on the right side of the law. We’ve got Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson), Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina), Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos) and Snake (voiced by Marc Maron). Each have their own hits and misses as to how they’re coping with life outside the walls. Governor Diane Foxington (voiced by Zazie Beetz) has retired from crime – she was the Crimson Paw. But when a new group of thieves starts to steal some artifacts, the eyes go to the “Bad Guys.” Commissioner Misty Luggins (voiced by Alex Borstein) asks them for help, only for them to be captured by the Bad Girls led by Kitty Kat (voiced by Danielle Brooks). They’re job is to do “one last job” else they expose Diane’s past.
It’s odd that a sequel lives up to the success of the original, but this one seems to pull it off quite nicely. It’s not exactly glorifying a criminal lifestyle, but these aren’t the most moral characters (animals?) around, either. And I’ll say that I’m not so enthralled with the film that I’ll go read any of the books, but I have to imagine that any book series that’s sold over a million copies and spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list is doing something right. As usual, there’s a bevy of top notch vocal talent involved (I’ve never understood why they need A-List actors to simply do voices) led by Sam Rockwell. The unusual, slick type of animation is perfect for this film as well, it really sets the tone and mood. Let’s face it, for those of us that like to watch people or characters do “bad” things, this has a certain type of voyeuristic characteristic that might appeal to a larger audience.
Video: How’s it look?
Ok, if it’s not evident by now that any computer-animated film is going to look amazing on your 4K TV then I don’t know what to tell you. Be it Pixar, Dreamworks or any of the other studios out there; it’ll look amazing. The film features a style of animation that’s certainly…unique. If you can imagine Into the Spider-Verse, it’s not exactly like that, but it’s also non-traditional. What can I say? Colors pop. Detail is razor sharp. Contrast is strong and just about every visible part of the color spectrum is represented here. The 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image simply looks so good you feel you can reach out and touch it. But don’t, though, you’ll just smudge your TV and then you’ll have to clean it. You’ve been warned.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Generally speaking, the buyer has to go with the 4K version to experience the Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Not here. This version features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Suffice it to say that no matter which one you choose, the sound is robust. All of the actors’ voices are clearly and faithfully represented, though I did catch a bit more “action” on the Atmos mix. It’s a busy and dizzying soundstage that’s sure to please and don’t forget to turn it up – this one keeps the speakers quite active for the duration.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – with Director Pierre Perifel, Co-Director JP Sans, Head of Character Animation Benjamin Willis, Head of Story Katherine de Vries, and Head of Cinematography, Layout Théophile Bondoux
- Little Lies and Alibis – In this animated short, the Bad Guys recount their chaotic day to their parole officer after arriving 10 minutes late to their hearing.
- Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Director Pierre Perifel and Co-Director JP Sans –
- Lowrider Chase
- Crime Sisters
- Bad Guys: Out of Line: Step into the studio with the cast as they record some of their silliest lines in this hilarious montage of recording booth moments!
- Double Jeopardy: The Making of The Bad Guys 2: Cast and filmmakers unveil their master plan to bring the Bad Guys back together for another epic heist!
- Meet the Gang: The gang is back together! Catch up with the all-star cast behind your favorite Bad Guys and meet the Bad Girls!
- Double Trouble: The Animals Behind The Bad Guys 2: The cast meet the real-life animal versions of their characters!
- Causing a Scene: Learn how the film’s adrenaline pumping action sequences came to life!
- Planning the Heist: Director Pierre Perifel and Co-Director JP Sans break down how they devised the elaborate Lucha Heist in this hilarious show and tell!
- Sketching the Bad Girls: A crime has been committed and the suspects are…the Bad Girls! Co-Director JP Sans (witness to the incident) gives a description of each of the suspects to the detective, Producer Damon Ross, and the sketch artist, Director Pierre Perifel, who shows how to draw them yourself!
- Kitty
- Doom
- Pigtail
The Bottom Line
There was a built-in audience with The Bad Guys 2 from the previous film as well as the books that inspired it. Adapting Aaron Blabey’s children’s book series into a feature-length film probably had lofty expectations. But, they succeeded. It works on all levels and I found it entertaining. Universal’s disc, of course, looks and sounds great.
