Movie Review: The Bad Guys

 

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review.

You know guys? Ever since i've reviewed animated movies, the most common animated films that i've done is Disney movies, i've watched almost them all, commonly with the theatrical films in modern time or bringing my fond memories back in my VHS days, however, there's one company that i've never done for review nor watching a lot, which is Dreamworks. Since 1994, Dreamworks are best known as Disney's main rival in the 90's to the millennium, especially one time they had a conflict between Dreamwork's Antz and Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life, due to similar concepts, but its a different story, of course in the millennium, Dreamworks humiliated Disney with releasing successful films like Shrek (one and two), Madagascar and even my favorite Kung Fu Panda (which maybe il review it in the future), but once they jumped into 2010 decade, everything went down from hill that they lost too much ever since they released too much films in attempt to beat Disney, but they went from average to flop, sure there's Dragon series, others felt like they're trying but failed pretty badly, its no wonder why most people (including me) are losing the touch on Dreamworks, until we have one film that maybe it will be a second chance of comeback?

"The Bad Guys" is a 2022 animated crime comedy film that was directed by Pierre Perifel, produced by Damon Ross and Rebecca Huntley, and written (for screenplay) by Etan Cohen.

Back in 2017 and 2018, they were planned to make a movie based on the book with the same name by Aaron Blabey, but they also took an inspiration style like live-action such as Pulp Fiction and anime like Beastars (only tone down the dark contents), along with giving the French filmmaker Pierre Perifel being credited as the film directorial debut. Of course, like any reviews that i've done, i won't do the comparison between the book series and the film, because again, im a movie guy than a bookworm.

So, with all that said, will The Bad Guys changed to The Good Guys, is the title live up their names, not in a good way?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

For a movie about group of anthro animals in their criminal activities with changing, it may sounds like a unique concept, for the most part.

The movie begins with a heist where we meet our titular group with Mr. Wolf, the cunning, yet charming leader, Mr. Snake, the sarcastic selfish best bud of wolf, Mrs. Tarantula, sharp-tongued black-hat hacker, Mr. Shark, a playful and sensitive master og disguise and Mr. Piranha, the young energetic member with a gassy problem in nervous, in their journey of looting valuable treasures to getting away from police with hot-headed chief Misty Luggins. But one day, one mission that Mr Wolf and his pals are always looking for is the award trophy called "Golden Dolphin", but after got distracted by Diane Foxington and one time helped an old lady, his group eventually got the trophy, but ended up too late from Wolf's distracted kindness, but the pompous philanthropist named Professor Marmalade noticed that maybe The Bad Guys aren't as bad when Wolf persuading to be nice at Diane, so Marmalade brought The Bad Guys in the home for their life changing, its up to Wolf for either accept to changing himself and his group to be good or being stuck in their crime days.

For the story, its a nice idea for having a group of bad guys in criminal activities are going to attempt to changing into good guys along with helping hand with philanthropist in order to ending their crime career, which i appreciated very much for the story, but if only the execution should be something original, sure its been done before like Wreck-it Ralph or Dreamworks previous film called MegaMind, but this is the film about the group of crooks in heist in order to changing than getting caught and send to jail, il probably give a give a credit, but the downside that im pointing out is that the writing is disappointing flawed for the easy prediction and even another cliché of "Power of love and Friendship" or how to be good, especially when we found out at the third act, but im not gonna spoiling it. But in fairness, the other executions are good as well, from investing the characters like Wolf to develop throughout the plot, the heart and the humor.

Speaking of the latter, at the jokes, they're mixed, while some jokes that i did laugh for what happened, but the downside is that the film has a pacing problem that when it gets too quick, it could get unfunny that we don't get it.

While the idea and the executions are good to give up, but the other executions and the writing are a problematic that it would've gone better to investing our titular group. In other words, its an obvious mixed bad for both story and the writing.

The Animation

Based on what we saw the trailer for the film's presentation of animation, it looks surprisingly pretty impressive.

The background looks incredibly nice for how the film takes place in Greater LA, from award show, a party place, a Alcatraz like prison (you know, a forbidden prison is on the island, like Alcatraz, aka The Rock?) and The Bad Guys' secret hideout with a bunch of valuable items that im pretty pretty they're way too good for their heist careers.

But the biggest noticeable of this film its the inspired animation style, this is mainly due to being inspired from Sony Pictures Animation's film "Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse" in order to give illustrative and stylized unlike they've done before, it sounds risky what they inspired, but honestly, i think did a pretty good idea for their new art-style. While they made it similar to Spider-Verse, but i probably believe they inspired another Sony's animated film that i covered before "The Mitchells vs The Machines", its mainly due to some of the character designs and the animation look a bit similar for the cartoony fashion, its understandable, but that's just me what i looked the animation. Aside the humans are look nice and rather simple, the character designs of anthro are pretty good, though they have different that either Mr. Wolf somewhat similar to Legoshi from Beastars, as well as the action scenes is similar to anime "Lupin III".

Speaking of which, the action scenes are pretty fascinating to watch from car chase scenes, strategy plan, pocketing, combat and some robbery, they're entertaining and even fun to watch, but like i said before, the downside is that the pacing is kinda all over that what watch just comes off as a bit too quick.

Pacing aside, i can see why they're inspired from Sony's animated Spider-Man movie, but to its credit, at least it looks pretty for its animation with the actions the designs, the action scenes and the quality.

The Characters

Surprisingly, its a very minimal list of characters to talk about them, but when it comes to the characters, they are pretty unique to give us based on execution and even fun voice acting.

First is the main leader of the group Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell), a charming and wity wolf for making plans of heist and likes to pickpocketing on his way. I find him to be a nice crime leader, though rather too nice, which is the purpose of this movie, ever since he's the leader of the group, he's always being calm, gentle and cred so much of his members as his friends, which is a struggling point for his double life both good and bad. Of course, Rockwell did a pretty good work of his role as the leader of The Bad Guys.

Next up is Mr. Snake (voiced by Marc Maron) he's not only Wolf's best bud, but he's sarcastic cynical safe-cracking that he cared so much of being bad, i find him fascinated that i was easily assuming he's dangerously gonna be the villain for turning against Mr. Wolf since they're best friend back then, but like i said, im not gonna give a SPOILER detail about the third act. Even though Snake could be an A-Hole, but Maron did a nice work of his role for both sarcastically bad, but fun as well.

As for the three remaining, though they may have a one-dimensional personas, but at least they're fun of worth to see and laugh, Mrs. Tarantula (voiced by Awkwafina for the THIRD time in my review) is a sharp-tongued (also sarcastic) hack expert for making shortcuts to our main group as a tarantula, Mr. Shark (voiced by Craig Robinson) is a master of disguise member for being both funny and other times, childish, and Mr. Piranha (voiced by Anthony Ramos) the Bolivian member who's depicted as a muscle member, despite being small and has a questionable gassy problem from nervous breakdown.

As for the rest of the characters, there's Professor Rupert Marmalade IV (voiced by Richard Ayoade) a rich and pompous philanthropist being the first person to teaching The Bad Guys to be good, Diane Foxington (voiced by Zazie Beetz) wh's the governor and Wolf's love interest to teach him what makes him having a struggle between good or bad, despite she has cautious feeling behind the group, Misty Luggins (voiced by Alex Borstein) who's an aggressive and brute police chief that she wants to arresting The Bad Guys so bad without losing her job and finally Tiffany Fluffit (voiced by Youtube personality Lilly Singh) is an overexaggerating reporter that she kinda give me a chuckle from Lilly formerly known as "Superwoman".

While some characters have one-dimensional, but at least they have a fun and heart executions, let along with appreciating voice acting.

And now for my final opinion of this film

Overall, The Bad Guys is a fun movie its quite possibly a welcoming comeback for Dreamworks after their deception, the story has a good idea, the characters maybe flawed, but fun to show and laugh, a good heart moment and the animation looks pretty good that not to see why they're inspired from Spider-Man.

However, the major downside that the movie would've been a perfect comeback is the writing, while i appreciating some jokes and the idea, but it fell apart from questionable writing, some immature jokes, predictably cliché and another one of those plot-twist villain trend, it sounds like i went to hard on that, but that's the issue that the movie has.

Problematic aside, this is the film that you should definitely check it out, if you're a fan of either a crime movie, an anthro movie or heck even a fan of Dreamworks. It may not be a perfect comeback, but at least its nice that Dreamworks are eventually gave us their best work.

For my rating, im gonna give this one a 7.5/10. Its a flawed movie, but then again, it got so much attention if you wanna see it.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.