We went to see The Bad Guys 2 in theaters and found that rare thing: a sequel that doesn’t fall short of the original.
When I saw The Bad Guys in theaters all the way back in 2022, I remembered thinking that I wouldn’t be against getting a sequel to this cute story. Fast forward three years and I ended up getting my wish with The Bad Guys 2, a sequel that, to my delight, doesn’t fall short of the original film.
The Bad Guys 2
Directed by: Pierre Peril
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Zazie Beetz
Release Date: August 1, 2025
The Bad Guys 2 is set not terribly long after the events of the original story and sees the now-former thieves struggling to get legitimate jobs as, despite helping save the city in the previous film, 99% of the public still doesn’t trust them due to their reputation. Things take a turn when a band of female thieves take an interest in The Bad Guys…because they’re fans of their past work. Trouble is, they really want the group’s help with a major heist, and they won’t take “no” for an answer.
Going in to this film, I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to get into this film because it seemed like the trailers had given away the bulk of the story ahead of time. I should’ve remembered the number one rule: trailers lie. Or in this case they don’t tell the entire truth. To avoid spoilers, I won’t be too specific but the trailers do an excellent job of faking one particular scene to make what actually happens more of a surprise. That’s the kind of cinematic trickery I can get behind.
Everything that made the first film fun to watch is back in The Bad Guys 2 and then some. Some might make the argument it’s too much like the original film, but I counter-argue that not all sequels need to push the envelope. Sometimes a standard, fun sequel is all you need and The Bad Guys 2 proves it. What makes it even better in my opinion is that there’s enough recapping and plot exposition that one can almost get through this film without having seen the first one. Sure, the big reveal at the film’s climax has more of an impact if you’ve seen the first film, but it still works in its own way.
One of the things I loved best about The Bad Guys 2 is the contrast between the two crews of thieves. Seeing Wolf’s crew working with Kitty’s crew, it quickly becomes obvious that intentions make all the difference, even when you’re a thief. While Wolf and his crew operated by their own rules and, more importantly, were able to walk away when it mattered, Kitty’s crew, well, Kitty to be specific, is not so disciplined. I also love Kitty’s fellow thieves; they’re a great addition to the story and I hope they return in a future installment.
I think the film was trying to hold Kitty up to Wolf as a mirror of what he could have been had he acted differently in the first film. At the very least Kitty is a prime example of what can happen when a thief doesn’t have anything resembling a moral center. What seems like fun can quickly turn deadly serious.
The story does stumble slightly during the final act. Even for an animated film and a kids film at that, the climax and how we get there takes such a massive suspension of disbelief that it almost took me out of the story. An animated film that has otherwise adhered to the general laws of physics can’t suddenly change its mind three quarters of the way through a story, is all I’m saying.
I also, admittedly had a hard time with how one character’s story arc wrapped up. Does benefit of the doubt not exist in this film’s world? To be fair, I think this was done to make it easier to set up the clearly teased third film, but it still bothers me.
Even with those hiccups, The Bad Guys 2 is a solid film that provided solid entertainment from beginning to end. It is, in a few words, a solid popcorn film. A third film is clearly being teased and I’m personally looking forward to it.
