Film Review: The Bad Guys (2022)

Sometimes you just need to watch a light hearted, entertaining cartoon to get through the week. Some shows are too heavy or time consuming to watch on a weeknight or the subject matter is far too dark and intense to relax to. That is where DreamWork’s Animation The Bad Guys come into play and it does not disappoint.

A trusty gang

Sam Rockwell, the Oscar winning actor, portrays Mr Fox and I’m going to say it, he’s a really hot cartoon. Joining Mr Fox are his trusty band of the criminally misunderstood animals including Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula. The storyline is so slick with parallels to cult classics like Pulp Fiction’s opening scene with Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta.

That’s how to deliver a message

After their legendary heist ends with The Bad Guys being caught, they are challenged with the unthinkable, can they become The Good Guys? Such a gentle and amusing scene in the show is when the fantastic Mr Fox is referred to like a canine “good boy” and his tail begins wagging uncontrollably, like c’mon how cute is that?

Fox just wants to be accepted so of course the message is, to be loved you need to be good, thanks DreamWorks. With a predictable twist at the hands (paws?) of a dastardly guinea pig posing as a model citizen, we see the true workings of friendship and of course, some clever scheming.

8/10

So if you’re looking for a fast paced animated adventure to unwind after a day working, then The Bad Guys is definitely for you. I give this tale a solid 8/10, I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline, casting, music and style of this film. Not too kiddie and not too dark, evidently that’s my sweet spot.