See, this is what happens when DreamWorks focuses on something that has nothing to do with Boss Baby, they deliver another fun, charming, clever, stylistic film with top notch writing and superb voice acting. The Bad Guys is a premise I believe only DreamWorks could've pulled off and make it work. It has the right amount of comedy, with a sweet mixture of clever storytelling and original animation style. The combination of 3D animation and 2D animation with a bit of an anime feel to it and a fast paced delivery keep this film rolling on all cylinders. From the very start to the end credits the film does not slow down albeit a few moments, but 90% of this film is fast paced, which works for this kind of setting. The casting for this film is near perfection, Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf seemed like an odd fit at first, but when paired with his character, I can totally believe Rockwell is a wolf in disguise. But to me the standout was Marc Maron as Mr. Snake (the names aren't too original I'll admit), you want an example of when a character and a performer match perfectly, you show Maron as Mr. Snake. There was a joke having to do with flatulence that I feared would downgrade the film's quality, but I must say, and I don't say this often, the fart joke was actually cleverly articulated into the outcome of the film, and wasn't just a tired gimmick used when the writers ran out of ideas. That's another thing, the writing in this is very smart, whenever there was a point in the film where it could've easily have taken the lazy route, it surprised me and went a different direction. By avoiding the cliches, this ends up being one of the most original animated films of 2022, and makes this an engaging film for all audience members, and a nice break for parents who could have easily found enjoyment too. A nice break because we have Minions 2 to painfully get through...ugh! Those yellow tic-tacs will never go away. So for the time being, go see a quality animated film both young and older audiences can enjoy together and actually have a good time doing it. DreamWorks is still capable of making great animated films, and rout for their success in the future.
Review of The Bad Guys
