The Bad Guys

Voices of: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Alex Bornstein
Directed by: Pierre Perifel
Rating: PG
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of bad guys pretend to be good to avoid jail time. But, when they are framed for a crime they didn't commit, they find their natural instincts coming out.

Review:

Tim: I have to tell you, I went into The Bad Guys not expecting too much. Dreamworks is one of the best animation studios, but they are hit or miss. This film is definitely a hit. Pierre Perifel directs one of the most entertaining animated movies I've seen in recent years. It doesn't have the emotional depth that Pixar's best films have, but it's incredibly enjoyable. I had a lot of fun watching this movie.

I have to start with the animation style. Over the years, we've had so many gorgeously computer animated films, it's almost become commonplace. When computer animation first took off, we'd just marvel at these beautiful, colorful worlds that were created on screen. As that spread and anyone could do it, the visuals of animated movies became less of a differentiator and more of an expectation, table stakes. The Bad Guys shows one future path for animated movies. The brilliant mixing of 2D and 3D styles, the shadowing and edging of the characters, it all translates into one of the most unique, visually stunning animated films I've seen in many years. I know Perifel and others were inspired by other forms of animation, but they combined that here to create an animated film that looks so different from everything else we've seen. It's more gritty, less overly polished. It's absolutely breathtaking at times. It has been a long time since an animated movie made me feel a sense of awe due to visuals, but that happens here. That's one of the film's biggest strengths, its most memorable attribute. I can't spend five paragraphs describing how amazing the animation style is, so I'll just conclude this by reiterating how much I loved it.

I'm not familiar with the source material, so the story was new for me. I really liked the idea of centering the film on villains, especially how they used traditionally antagonist animals for these characters. Wolves, sharks, spiders, piranhas, snakes- these are animals we're taught to fear from an early age. To flip the script on this, to make them the protagonists of this film is brilliant. I plan to read Aaron Blabey's graphic novel with my kids soon. This movie (and the source material) is such a great reminder of how important the central premise is. It's 2022 (well, 2023 as I write this) and while many lament Hollywood's dearth of news ideas, they are everywhere around us. You just need studios and executives to take more chances. It was great fun seeing these villainous characters' redemption arc throughout the course of the film.

I thought the voice cast was quite strong. I love Sam Rockwell and I believe he needs to do more voice work. He has a distinct voice and it was perfect for Wolf. He's an underrated actor and I loved hearing him bring this character to life. Marc Macon did solid work as Snake, although it didn't feel like he was quite as effective a character. Awkwafina's voice is always so distinct, but there's something compelling about it. She worked well here. I always love Craig Robinson in anything, so I had fun hearing him. Anthony Ramos was solid and Richard Ayoade added a strong performance, too. I thought Zazie Beetz did an exceptionally good job voicing her character. It's been so fun to see her star continually rise and her work here should further cement her meteoric ascent. I'm not sure anyone in the cast gave an unforgettable performance, but they were all effective.

I was definitely a fan of the story, although it might have benefited from a bit more focus. It dragged in a few places and I think 7-8 minutes could have been cut from the film, but it was all so gorgeously rendered that I wouldn't voice this complaint too loudly. I don't believe any of the characters are truly iconic, but the group of them work so well together, I sincerely hope we get many more movies in this potential franchise. I'd be ecstatic to revisit these characters again.

Perifel directs an action-packed movie that has great comedic moments and barrels forward with a good deal of momentum. It might not have the emotional depth that the best animated movies have, but it was wildly entertaining, a heist movie for kids (of which we need more!). I really enjoyed watching this movie and my seven year-old son and four year-old daughter both really loved the movie, too. It's the rare animated film that is as entertaining for adults as it is kids. It's one of the most pleasant surprises of 2022 and a movie I'd be happy to revisit again. This is a major success for Dreamworks.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls World Tour, Abominable