Shadow Reviews #21: The Bad Guys 2 (2025)

Instructions

My Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Bad Guys 2 is one of those rare sequels that’s better than the original. As I watched the film unfold on the big screen of the movie theater – always a good experience, it made even The Garfield Movie look okayish when it came out in April last year – I could feel the action unpacking with every frame and the sound of every line enveloped me. It’s an unforgettable, dreamlike experience and I really want to watch more movies in theaters – it’s a different and better way of watching cinema. But anyway, onto the review. First of all, the characters are again really lovable. Their voice actors pour so much personality and humor into every line, and even though they certainly aren’t realistic or humanlike, they seem like they could be real, you know? The Bad Girls were a nice addition to the series and their motivations were pretty well-defined. As always with cinema, a character is driven by their motivation and what they do to achieve that goal; in this case, it’s stealing all the gold in the world, a pretty ambitious but intriguing objective. This movie feels more like a heist movie than the original film, which says something about the Bad Guys. The plot was nice to watch unfold. It kept itself interesting without falling into pointless pitfalls or plot holes – and it had a timeless theme: returning back into society after imprisonment is a real struggle for several ex-convicts and even though they may not be behind bars, they find themselves jailed societally or relationally. This helps drive the reactions of other characters – particularly the Commissioner – who readily distrusts the Bad Guys after they were framed for theft. Building back trust is a difficult endeavor and people often don’t give former enemies a genuine chance to prove their worth and honesty. The animation was even better than the original film, I liked all the effects and smooth transitions. Something about the comic book style was comforting and exciting to watch. Plus, the occasional incorporation of 2D drawings into a reaction was fun to see, it added a touch of quirkiness to the film that surprised me. Anyway, I heavily suggest checking the movie out, particularly in the theaters right now full an immersive experience. It’s going to be an animated classic, trust me. What I watched it on: THE MOVIE THEATHERS Other critics: Rotten Tomatoes: 87% Metacritic: 64, "generally favorable"