Rob Reviews "The Bad Guys 2"

It’s only been three years since The Bad Guys?

I remember getting a screener for it and absolutely LOVING the first film: from its opening as an homage to Pulp Fiction to its mixing of animation styles and a story that was entirely more fun than it had any reason to be, I was leery when a sequel was announced.  (We are not talking about the fact that both Halloween and Christmas specials have happened while I was unaware of them.)  I still was intrigued enough to check out The Bad Guys 2, and I am SO glad I did.

JP Sans co-directs with the returning Pierre Perifel to pick up shortly after the last film ends, but our friends The Bad Guys are not doing as well as they would hope.  Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) is trying to get a job while the rest of the gang (Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, and Awkwafina) are trying to adjust to a life without crime and Mr. Snake (Mark Maron) seems to constantly not be around and has changed a bit.  When a series of heists take place around the city have them hoping to make themselves look better by working with the now Commissioner Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein), they wind up falling into the trap of a criminal gang set on a very dangerous and evil mission that want The Bad Guys to do “one last job”.

Does this one have a tribute to another movie in its opening.  Yes, it does.  (By the way, there is a new DreamWorks opening here that I absolutely LOVE.)

Am I telling you what it is?  No, I am not.  And the fact that I won’t tell you means that I want you to go see it for yourself.

The Bad Guys 2 truly does not disappoint and is one of the rare instances where I can say that it lives up to the enjoyment of the first one.  It is not the ultra-rare occasion that surpasses its predecessor, but that is not a bad thing either.  The cast seems to slip right back into their roles, and there are a TON of laughs in this one.  There are even a few jokes that are more aimed towards the older audiences that may be dragged to this by their kids that work for that set without having to tell any long stories on the way home.

And don’t let the “one last job” bit scare you off: it IS a trope that is used a lot, but it leads to an opening for a third film that could take this thing in a WHOLE different direction that I am actually hoping happens.  The mid-credit scene helps enforce that in a subtle way, so stick around a bit for that.

I could not be more pleased with how The Bad Guys 2 turned out.  This is another great fun summer movie that I would put on a “must see” list for those out to enjoy a good couple of hours in the theater, no matter who you are!