It’s good to be Bad again.

In The Bad Guys 2, the animal outlaws are back trying to spread their wings on the right side of the law. As Wolf, Shark and the rest try to pull their lives together, their world is suddenly upended by… Snake’s love life? As they attempt to find out what’s happening with their slitherly friend, the team is drawn into the world of the Bad Girls, a new team of criminals with a plan that promises wealth beyond their wildest dreams.

Once again directed by Pierre Perifel, The Bad Guys 2 is a delightfully fun entry into the animated franchise. There’s such a silliness about this world that one can’t help but fall for the charms of its characters. (The fact that Shark is considered to be a master of disguise is entertaining in and of itself.)

(from left) Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Snake (Marc Maron) and Shark (Craig Robinson) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, directed by Pierre Perifel.

It’s worth noting that DreamWorks has managed to set itself apart from other animation companies through its use of visuals. Using a palette that seems to echo water colours, Bad Guys 2 offers a unique texture to its CGI that feels almost tactile in moments. Although character movements remain frenetic, there is a smoothness to them that is reminiscent of brush strokes. But, in other moments, characters pop off the screen as though stripped from the pages of a comic book. Although DreamWorks has used this style in its other animated franchises, it’s the Bad Guys franchise that somehow uses it to their best abilities and, once again, the film looks stunning.

And, now that we know the team so well, Bad Guys 2 decides to have a little fun with its characters. Sam Rockwell’s Wolf is as smooth in his approach as ever but struggling to make a living means he doesn’t have the resources he once did. (For example, his car is a significant downgrade…) Meanwhile, Marc Maron’s Snake steps his game in his love life, yet the slithery one may not be as good at romance as he believed. And the others? Well, frankly, they don’t always know what they want (or can) do with their time.

(from left) Snake (Marc Maron), Shark (Craig Robinson), Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Tarantula (Awkwafina) and Piranha (Anthony Ramos) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, directed by Pierre Perifel.

This leaves the field ripe for the appearance of the Bad Girls, a team of female villains who remind the ‘Guys’ what they’re missing out on. With the potential for wealth and, above all else, fun back in their lives, the Bad Guys find themselves tempted to return to their wicked ways. It’s this battle with temptation that is the film’s central tension as the original crew remember not just what they did but why. (“It’s never about the loot,” Wolf tells us.)

But their biggest obstacles towards a better future may not actually be the Bad Girls themselves. Instead, the biggest struggle that they face is the broken trust that they have with the community that knows them to be former villains. (After all, why would you hire someone to work at the bank if they’ve robbed you three times.) In some ways, it matters less that they’ve actually changed.

(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron) and Doom (Natasha Lyonne) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2, directed by Pierre Perifel.

Instead, it matters more that people actually believe that they have.

It’s this struggle that really affects the crew. They believe they’re doing everything right but they still can’t seem to catch a break. People don’t trust them (and, when they do, that trust is incredibly fragile). And, with the job market is lacking, the group finds themselves caught between their past and a future that really matters.

Although the story has its bumpy moments from a critical perspective, it never ceases to be adorably funny. These characters have such an ease about them that one wants to see them (and the franchise) succeed. There’s a certain spark to its humour that just makes you cheer for these lovable thieves. And, if the film’s finale is any indication, they don’t want this to be their last heist either.

The Bad Guys 2 is available in theatres on Friday, August 1st, 2025.