The Bad Guys 2

Prequel: “The Bad Guys” (2022)

Three years ago, we learned that even the Big Bad Wolf, a master-of-disguise Shark, and a heartless Snake weren’t necessarily “bad guys.” But can that last? We will find out in “The Bad Guys 2”.

Years after the “bad guys” officially became good, they are struggling to acclimate to an honest way of life. Their checkered past makes it impossible to land any legitimate jobs, and to make matters worse—in the news—a new criminal is framing them in a current crime spree. While trying to clear their names, Mr Wolf, Mr Snake, Mr Shark, Mr Piranha, and Ms Spider get kidnapped by this new villain—Kitty Kat—who blackmails them into carrying out one more crime before they can truly be free. Now, this group of scary animals must once again decide—are they good or are they bad?

“The Bad Guys 2” starts with a flashback to one of their exciting criminal capers. It includes less guinea pigs than the first film and replaces them with chickens. It’s an exciting intro that is immediately juxtaposed to today—where they are struggling to survive as honest civilians.

I like this contrast, and I was immediately interested in this different approach to these characters I already appreciated. Throw in the wrinkle that Mr. Snake has a new bird girlfriend, and this movie is officially intriguing. Unfortunately, after we watch Mr. Snake kissing the bird (my favorite visual gag in the movie), the film plot simply grabs the lowest hanging fruit. The former “bad guys” must, against their will, commit another crime; and from this point on, “The Bad Guys 2” is nothing more than incongruent action scenes that make little to no point. Plus, any sense of morality that the original film developed is absent from this noisy, discordant sequel.

As any sequel, “The Bad Guys 2” amps up each individual aspect. It introduces new villains, the threat is global, and the action literally reaches outer space. While those elements certainly are bigger, the impact and connection with the audience is smaller. It’s storytelling 101 really. A compelling narrative often revolves around characters who undergo significant internal change or learn a crucial lesson, but this film seems more interested in the characters ambiguously going to one huge action piece after another.

Whether it’s their ridiculous involvement in a wrestling match that frames them for a crime (which frankly, makes no sense), or it’s their completely superfluous theft at a billionaire’s wedding, or it’s their final attempt at redemption by sneaking onto a rocket launching out of orbit; the “bad guys,” or kind of “good guys,” never reach deeper than kicking, fighting, or driving through their adventure. It’s amazing that so much can add up to be so little. “The Bad Guys 2” really feels like nothing happens, despite the visual and audio onslaught that is on display.

And speaking of visuals, I must admit, the animation—like the original—is top of the line. It uses a combination of 3D and 2D visual effects with consistent color palettes in each scene that sets a tone—from the warm earth tones of the Cairo caper to the cool blues of their kidnapping. The voice performances are strong—specifically Sam Rockwell (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” ) as Mr. Wolf, but all the actors—Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Little Mermaid”), Craig Robinson (“The Office,” “Hot Tub Time Machine”), Anthony Ramos (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”), Marc Maron (“The Order”), and Oscar-nominee Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple: The Musical,” “A Minecraft Movie”) brought personality to each of their characters. “The Bad Guys 2” still includes some fun references to grown-up films like “The Fugitive” and “Silence of the Lambs”, and the kids at my screening really enjoyed the persistent fart jokes. I enjoyed the innate humor of the animals with human characteristics—specifically Mr Snake in human clothes and an astronaut suit. But, even with these positives, “The Bad Guys 2” offers little beyond its glossy surface, and it is very disappointing after how much I enjoyed the original.

From a Christian perspective, “The Bad Guys 2” is very clean. It has little to no profanity, and the crude language never gets worse than the word “fart.” The message of the film is hope—a hope to succeed, a hope to find family, and a hope to become a better person. And, though the film hardly achieves this message, it does align with our hope as Christians. But our hope is in God. As Paul writes in Roman 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Although “The Bad Guys 2” certainly doesn’t promote our hope in God, it shares in that positive message, which I appreciate in a film targeted to children.

Overall, the film focuses on some misguided heroes, but they are trying to do what is right, and that may be enough to call them “good guys.”

• Vulgar/Crude language: Moderate
• Violence: Mild
• Wokeism: Mild
• Profane language: Minor
• Sex: Minor
• Drugs/Alcohol: None
• Nudity: None
• Occult: None

This film earned $222-million worldwide as of October 6, 2025.

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.

• Neutral
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