Dreamworks have been silently one of the strongest in the animation industry, quietly going about their business every now and then releasing something unique and different. Films like the How to Train to Your Dragon trilogy, Captain Underpants, Trolls and The Croods all did well with audiences, and yet somehow I always have low expectations that get pleasantly surprised when the film actually turns out to be good.
The Bad Guys is the story of a group of criminal animals who are out to capture the Golden Dolphin, a statue noone has ever successfully stolen before, when they are caught and forced to learn how to be good, or are they just pretending.
It quite simply is a heist for a younger audience. There are the twists and turns you want, it’s a lot of fun without doing anything overly new. The story is also based on a book of the same name, so if you are aware of that then you probably know how it’s going to go.
The most impressive thing, and the thing I enjoyed most, about this film is the gorgeously unique animation. There’s now been plenty of time since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse that animators have been allowed to just be a bit more unique with their art styles. It’s a style that will definetly be remembered and appreciated.
There’s a strong voice cast across the board, they all really suit each character from Richard Ayoade as a Guinea Pig, Zazie Beetz as a Fox, Sam Rockwell as a Wolf, Craig Robinson as a Shark, Anthony Ramos as a Piranha, Awkwafina as a Tarantula and Marc Maron perfectly cast as a Snake. A talented cast like this is always going to provide plenty of laughs, along with heart which it successfully manages to do.
Overall, The Bad Guys is a lot of fun, one of the stronger animated films in recent times, one that doesn’t feel like just an easy cash grab or generic, and seems to be one that word of mouth will help boost it. I’d be more than happy to see some sequels to this one.
What did you think of The Bad Guys?
Flooders Films 
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