DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys 2 finds the reformed crew yanked into a globe-trotting heist run by a surprise new rival team: the Bad Girls. After its Digital release, the film was released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD in early October.

Following the fall of Professor Marmalade, the reformed Bad Guys—Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Snake (Marc Maron), Shark (Craig Robinson), Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Tarantula (Awkwafina)—struggle to settle into normal life. Snake is frequently away, and Wolf grows closer to Diane (Zazie Beetz), though her role as governor keeps any romance at bay. Hoping to earn public trust, Wolf teams with Commissioner Luggins (Alex Borstein) to track the mysterious Phantom Bandit. But when clues point in the wrong direction and a setup at a lucha libre event goes sideways, the gang winds up framed and forced to flee. Wolf reaches out to Diane, who agrees to help prove their innocence.

The Bad Guys are soon kidnapped by Snake’s new girlfriend Susan (Natasha Lyonne), secretly the criminal Doom, who works with the real Phantom Bandit, Kitty (Danielle Brooks), and their partner Pigtail Petrova (Maria Bakalova). Kitty threatens to expose Diane’s past as the Crimson Paw unless the team helps steal the MOON-X rocket from its owner, Mr. Moon (Colin Jost). Diane seeks answers from Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in prison and uncovers a far-reaching plot involving MacGuffinite, a rare metal capable of magnetizing gold, and a scheme that could have global consequences.

With little choice, the Bad Guys carry out a daring wedding heist to steal Mr. Moon’s smartwatch, planning to turn the tables on Kitty once they have the leverage she promised. But their double-cross backfires, unleashing leaked secrets, police pursuit, and a frantic scramble as the villains move ahead with their rocket plan. Diane forces her way back into the mission, even as Luggins reevaluates how much she trusts the crew she once arrested. The stage is set for a high-stakes confrontation in orbit, where shifting alliances, personal revelations, and the team’s hard-won commitment to doing good are put to the ultimate test.

I was late to watching The Bad Guys 2 because the film held its press screening on Shabbos. The home release came amid the Jewish holidays, when my schedule was already chaotic. Add a busy awards season and I didn’t get around to watching the film until the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Somehow, I made it all this time without the film being spoiled for me, so that’s a win.

“The first movie was our love letter to heist films like Ocean’s Eleven, with a touch of Quentin Tarantino,” comments producer Damon Ross in the film’s production notes. “For the sequel, we wanted to go bigger and explore other genres. We looked to Mission: Impossible and James Bond for inspiration—bigger action, bigger spectacle and much higher stakes.”

The Bad Guys 2 also sees these characters having to reinvent themselves. What does their existence look like when they’re trying to do the mundane rather than what they do best? Snake found himself a girlfriend, so he manages to keep busy, but the rest find themselves being rejected in interview after interview.

Obviously, The Bad Guys 2 is still playing around with the heist genre. But I have to appreciate how they manage to take it up a notch by upping the action. I would have never predicted that the globe-trotting heist would take them into outer space. Of course, they do this by breaking all laws of science in ways that would have Neil deGrasse Tyson putting the film to shame. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough, the sequence works. But the reality is that nobody could have survived that stunt without proper protection. Regardless, the rocket launch sequence itself is impressive in its realism.

If you’re familiar with any suspense movie ever made—especially films directed by Alfred Hitchcock—MacGuffinite is one of the best Easter eggs in the history of cinema. The characters even have a good laugh because they think it sounds like a made-up word. For those not in the know, a MacGuffin is a story device: necessary for plot and character motivation but ultimately insignificant in itself. Hitchcock was a master at utilizing them, so the filmmakers earn a tip of the cap for including this in The Bad Guys 2.

Similarly, The Bad Guys 2 gets in a good dig at Elon Musk with the whole MOON-X arc and Mr. Moon being a billionaire. It’s not like they make any sort of judgment about his behavior. Still, Musk was nowhere near the figure he is now when they started working on the film. I wonder if Mr. Moon decided to buy a social media website and burn it all down because he was bored.

Daniel Pemberton is no stranger to upping the ante, having previously scored multiple genres while working on The Afterparty. For The Bad Guys 2, the Oscar-nominated and Annie Award–winning composer had to contribute a score that was more ambitious, cinematic, and unpredictable.

I never read the graphic novel series that inspired the film, but a sequel was inevitable, especially with how much the first film grossed. The Bad Guys 2 did nearly similar numbers and, luckily for us, both Pierre Perifel and JP Sans are already planning a third outing. With how the film ends, I’ll be curious to see how they follow it up in the next adventure.

In the end, The Bad Guys 2 thrives on its playful energy, sharp humor, and willingness to push its world into bigger, stranger territory without losing sight of its characters. It’s a sequel that confidently embraces spectacle while still finding room for clever details and genuine charm, making the ride as enjoyable as ever.

• LITTLE LIES AND ALIBIS: In this animated short, the Bad Guys recount their chaotic day to their parole officer after arriving 10 minutes late to their hearing.
• Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Director Pierre Perifel and Co-Director JP Sans:
  • Lowrider Chase
  • Crime Sisters
• BAD GUYS: Out of Line: Step into the studio with the cast as they record some of their silliest lines in this hilarious montage of recording booth moments!
• Double Jeopardy: The Making of THE BAD GUYS 2: Cast and filmmakers unveil their master plan to bring the Bad Guys back together for another epic heist!
• Meet the Gang: The gang is back together! Catch up with the all-star cast behind your favorite Bad Guys and meet the Bad Girls!
  Double Trouble: The Animals Behind THE BAD GUYS 2: The cast of THE BAD GUYS 2 meet the real-life animal versions of their characters!
• Causing a Scene: Learn how the film’s adrenaline pumping action sequences came to life!
• Planning the Heist: Director Pierre Perifel and Co-Director JP Sans break down how they devised the elaborate Lucha Heist in this hilarious show and tell!
• Sketching the Bad Girls: A crime has been committed and the suspects are…the Bad Girls! Co-Director JP Sans (witness to the incident) gives a description of each of the suspects to the detective, Producer Damon Ross, and the sketch artist, Director Pierre Perifel, who shows how to draw them yourself!
  • Kitty
  • Doom
  • Pigtail
• Feature Commentary with Director Pierre Perifel, Co-Director JP Sans, Head of Character Animation Benjamin Willis, Head of Story Katherine de Vries, and Head of Cinematography, Layout Théophile Bondoux

DIRECTOR: Pierre Perifel
CO-DIRECTOR: JP Sans
SCREENWRITERS: Yoni Brenner & Etan Cohen
CAST: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova, Alex Borstein, Richard Ayoade, Lilly Singh, with Omid Djalili, Colin Jost, Jaime Camil, Hugo Savinovich, Michael Godere

Universal Pictures released The Bad Guys 2 in theaters on August 1, 2025. Grade: 4/5

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