Les méchants 2

I feel mostly the same about this one as I did the first. Very stylized, funny, active, and constantly engaging with gorgeous animation, constant movement in the cinematography, sleek production design, and absolutely hilarious gags, jokes, and nods to the crime genre. Really consistent entertainment and very fun for the whole family, with jokes balancing between all- appealing and more kid-centered. Rapid-fire wit and pacing help a story with a marvelous central theme and memorable characters backed by an excellent voice cast who you can tell have so much fun in these roles. It's definitely obvious and predictable, not every joke lands, and some sequences stand out more than others, but I'm surprised at the clever storytelling from both this one and its predecessor. I would happily watch more in the future.

'The Bad Guys 2 (2025)' is, first and foremost, a ton of fun. It's energetic, it's enjoyable, it's exactly what you expect it to be but no worse for it. This propulsive, well-paced sequel is brought to life with expressive, high-octane animation that consistently drops your jaw with its gorgeous storybook-meets-Saturday-morning-cartoon aesthetic. Some of it is undeniably inspired by anime, with exaggerated 2D shock reactions and unmistakable sound effects, and it feels really distinct amongst its peers who strive for cartoon realism. It's stylish, it's slick, its visuals totally compliment its tone and atmosphere. It's a joy to look at from its first frame to its last, and it absolutely sprints through its generic but entertaining narrative without feeling rushed or missing a single step. It's a total blast that sweeps you off your feet, packed full of exciting set-pieces, humourous interactions, and satisfying in-the-moment subversions that often lead to some effortlessly - and genuinely - cool moments (not a lot of movies can pull off being cool without seeming like they're trying too hard to do so) that recall silky smooth heist films like 'Ocean's Eleven (2001)' and often scratch the itch left by the cancellation of the 'Sly Cooper' feature. It's arguably not quite as good as its predecessor, but it isn't far off. It's certainly a worthy sequel and it's one of Dreamworks' better animated efforts (it isn't in the top ten, I'd say, but it's pretty close). It isn't deep, but it is entertaining and that's all you really need it to be. Besides, its story is still really solid. Its characters are well-rounded (even if their arcs aren't as big this time around), its relationships are believable, its messages are (very) subtle but important, and its plot is incredibly efficient. There are some superb action scenes sprinkled throughout, and the cast all do a brilliant job at bringing their characters to life (Sam Rockwell is a phenomenal lead, his acting acumen clearly coming across even when he's playing an animated wolf). It's all just really fun, and it looks as good as it feels. This is a really strong follow-up to one of Dreamworks' most successful new efforts. I'd definitely welcome a third entry.

Aaron Blabey's oddly ugly-yet-charming characters return in what feels like a looser take on his books, where a new group of villains frame and steal, while the "bad guys" save the day again.

And once again, the visuals are an improvement on the books, the designs enticing, the animation is crisp and colorful, while the film retains that super energetic tone throughout. It is well written and very entertaining. More of this please! Considering there are 20 books already (involving zombies, Aliens and space, Demons and Multiverses).

Still, like last time, the cast leans on recognizable names delivering perfectly serviceable performances.. but nothing that justifies sidelining professional voice actors who could have done just as well (or better).

It is easy to recommend, and hard not to enjoy.

26/7/2025 - Odeon Middlesbrough 12:45

A pretty solid sequel compared to the first, which I only found okay. The animation is top-notch, the story is familiar but still a blast, and I loved the fun nods to Mission: Impossible, Lethal Weapon, and even Silence of the Lambs?!? And yes-the fart jokes actually hit!

Definitely recommended!

Now, I'll admit. The trailers, were not 100% doing it for me. I found it weird that they were doing a sequel about the bad guys, who are no longer bad? And the way the trailer showed us the bad girls, seems extremely forced in there. But I'm pleased to say, that the trailers kind of miss marketed the movie. First off, it's more bad guys. If you like, what the first movie did. If you like these characters. The sequel delivers exactly what that first movie delivered on. The heist, the great character moments, the spy elements. Everything that makes that first movie as good as it is, is all in the sequel. And like I mentioned before, I was worried about the bad guys now being good, I thought making a sequel with them good, would make it feel like a forced sequel. But that is not the case at all, the movie goes down a certain direction that makes the plot work. But I'm glad that we got a sequel now making them good people, because this movie would not have been the same thing without that plot line in there. That I am now excited and want more sequels based on these characters. I want to see a whole franchise built with them! This needs to be DreamWorks next big franchise they have because they can now do so many storylines with them. And since there's books on them, I expect that we will be getting that. Now, let's talk about the bad girls. The main part of this movie. And I gotta say, I love what they did with them. Throughout the entire movie I was just thinking about how great of villains they are, I haven't broke this fully down so I don't know 100% on how I would feel about it, but there's a chance that these villains are a top 10 DreamWorks villain. Take everything great about the bad guys but this time as a villain switching that perspective up. That's why they're such great villains. And I gotta say, I think this movie is better than the original. It's not by much, if you check my ranking is only a spot higher. It really only depends on my mood, but right now I'm feeling the second one is better. I think the villains are 10 times stronger, I think a lot of the character moments and stakes are 10 times stronger, and it's still captures all the magic from the original film. This is a great sequel to the original film. But it's not without its problems. For starters, yes, this movie is fun, it still gives us everything great about the original film. But when leaving the theater, all I thought was, yeah that was fun/cool. And sitting down writing this review, it just seems like a distant memory that happened. It didn't seem like I watched the movie today. So it's a movie you can watch. Enjoy your time with it and continue on with your day. Not really something that sticks in your mind for a long time. And although I do love the villain, I do question the plan in the long run. Although all the set up is great, I was very confused on what the villain wanted to do once they won. But, this is a great sequel to the original film that carries out everything you love about the original film, and in my opinion is slightly better than it. It's as funny, but with higher stakes, better villains, and I can't wait to see what future installments have to bring.