On June 21, 2022 The Bad Guys was released on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™, and DVD from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment! THE BAD GUYS Collector’s Edition showcases an all-new original short and comes filled with never-before-seen bonus features including deleted scenes, exclusive interviews with cast and crew, Mr. Snake’s frozen pops recipes, character drawing tutorials and more, offering endless fun and sure to get the entire family into ‘summer’ mode. You can grab a copy of the movie from amazon.com (affiliate link)
I received the opportunity to review this movie (Thanks Universal and Dreamworks) and here is what I thought.
Out with the truth, I have never read the books, so when I started watching The Bad Guys, I had no idea what to expect. From the cover, it looked like a group of animal bad guys going to do bad things. Since it was a comedy I expected hilarious antics as they tried to pull off their heists. I had no idea there was so much more to the film!
Spoilers Below!
The Bad Guys is Oceans Eleven but for kids. After robbing a bank and going on the most epic car chase that can only be rivaled by the Fast and Furious series, Wolf and his friends get home to relax among their stolen loot. But when the mayor calls them out as ‘has beens’, Wolf talks his friends into the ultimate heist, stealing the unstealable Golden Dolphin trophy. The amazing theft would put them back on top as the worlds most notorious criminals. Thus the Oceans Eleven planning and heist begins.
First the planning, where each member of the team has a task that must be completed in order for the heist to succeed. Mr. Wolf sweet talks the mayor, Mr. Shark is the distraction, Mr. Snake is the rope, Tarantula hacks the security, and Piranha is the strength. Even though Mr. Wolf is like George Clooney and plays the brains of the operation the team would fail without every member present and doing their assigned task.
However, these notorious criminals quickly find out that the heist may not be as easy as expected when equipment malfunctions start wrecking havoc on their heist. From unhackable computers to wardrobe malfunctions, everything quickly leads to possible incarceration. It takes a sly Mr. Wolf and his George Clooney like intellect to get the mayor to give them a chance at redemption, at being good.
The redemption arc takes the viewers on a fun side quest as we watch The Bad Guys attempt to be good and make the choice of kindness. The Con-cation (con vacation) quickly turns into more work than planned when sharing turns almost deadly, saving cats turns excruciating, costumes turn demeaning, and a muddle of guinea pigs lead to bad publicity. Of course, as a viewer, these selected scenarios are hilarious and I found myself laughing at each scene. I have to say, the guinea pig heist had me in stitches! We all knew Mr. Snake had hunger motives. I think what made it even more hilarious was his dragon onsie. OMG just look at their costumes in the picture below. I am still laughing.
While this movie is hilarious in many parts, it also contains a ton of awwww moments. When Mr. Snake finally shares his push pop with Mr. Shark, you can’t help but go awww. When the friends show just how close they are, more aww moments. When they learn what the tail wag means, double awwws. The aww moments all lead up to the motto, friends are forever, no matter what happens. The growth of emotions as the Bad Guys learn about their feelings is complicated but adorable and wonderfully told.
I love this movie. Simply put the characters, the art, the voice overs, and the story all lead to a climatic and hilarious end that made me laugh, go awww, sit in shock, and so much more. The most hilarious quote goes to Shark and his, “Oh I forgot, I’m not pregnant.” One of the most shocking moments is when Mr. Shark eats Mr. Snake, I sat there dumbfounded wondering if that really did just happen. And of course, Mr. Wolf saving that adorable kitten is a great awww moment. I give this movie 5 stars! It is fun for the whole family!
I didn’t talk about a few characters to keep a few surprises in the film. You will either see the switch coming or it will come as a great surprise. I encourage everyone to watch The Bad Guys.
