“The Bad Guys 2” opens with a dazzling, high-octane car chase through the bustling streets of Cairo, and from that very moment, you know this film isn’t here to play safe — it’s going all in. The scope is bigger, the stakes are higher, and so is the energy. Unrelenting.
The beloved crew of notorious ex-criminals — Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha, and Ms. Tarantula — return in style. Once trying to go straight, they’re thrust back into the action when a new gang of “Bad Girls” hijacks their redemption arc.
These aren’t your typical villains — we’re talking about Kitty Kat, a snow leopard with a steel resolve, a genius wild boar scientist named Pigtail, and Doom, a raven with an enigmatic edge. There’s romantic tension, with Mr. Snake and Doom sharing more than a little past.
What follows is a globe-trotting, space-bound heist that honestly feels like James Bond meets Ocean’s Eleven… on adrenaline. The gang, now caught in a whirlwind involving a tech billionaire (Colin Jost) and a plan to hijack a Moon X rocket, aim to pull off the wildest heist yet — stealing all the gold on Earth using a giant magnet. It’s absolutely bonkers… and ridiculously fun.
The film nails its tone — it’s smart without being smug and funny without dumbing itself down. The writing by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen sparkles with clever banter and subtle wit, and the voice cast is Unbelievable. Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Richard Ayoade, Maria Bakalova, and Natasha Lyonne bring the characters to life with flair and personality in every syllable.
There are some hysterical set pieces — a wrestling match gone wrong, a wedding heist, a Moonraker-inspired space sequence — and even though Mr. Piranha’s fart jokes don’t always land, they somehow still manage to make you giggle.
Daniel Pemberton’s music score keeps the pulse racing, while the production design is jaw-dropping. The cars, the rocket ship, the metallic-blue color palette — all of it is rendered with such precision and style, it’s impossible not to be awestruck.
Directors Pierre Perifel and JP Sans have built an animated world that feels rich, textured, and unbelievably cool. Even though the climax leans over-the-top (Kitty Kat’s magnet pulling all the gold from Earth is… ambitious), it’s still bold and entertaining, and it leaves room for more sequels — possibly even ones that dig into deeper, more grown-up themes.
This isn’t just a fun ride for kids. It’s a gorgeously crafted action-comedy that doesn’t talk down to its audience. It plays with genre tropes, looks stunning, and stays emotionally grounded.
With insane plot twists, confident storytelling, and mind-blowing visuals, “The Bad Guys 2” is a full-blown animated spectacle. The opening chase alone had me sold — and it only gets better from there. Easily one of the best animated films I’ve ever seen. A total must-watch.
