THE BAD GUYS | MOVIE REVIEW | SYLVIA PARK

A story of heists, friendship, betrayal, twists and turns in an animated package.

(from left) Mr Snake (Marc Maron), Mr Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Ms Tarantula (Awkwafina), Mr Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Mr Shark (Craig Robinson) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel. © 2022 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The Bad Guys are a ragtag team of 5 predators: Wolf, Snake, Shark, Tarantula and Piranha. Stereotyped to be the villains of every bedtime story or movie, they’ve been dealt a hard hand and decide to make the best of it. The movie starts out like every heist film, with a challenging target and a team of baddies with individual special talents and a somewhat personal motive. But just when you think you can predict what happens next, you’re thrown the first of many twists.

THE BAD GUYS, from DreamWorks Animation. © 2022 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Wolf is very similar to George Clooney from Oceans 11 complete with snazzy suits and a charming personality. Mr Snake – a cunning, lock-picker with a big appetite. Mr Shark, a master of disguise and adorable personality traits. Mr Piranha has anger issues and great comedic timing. Ms Tarantula has the equipment of a hacker and the arms to use them all at once. Bonus points for the great casting of the voice actors.

Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel. © 2022 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The plot of the movie is a cluster of many, MANY twists, schemes, tests of loyalty and friendship. It would be hard to reveal more without spoilers. The movie is a fun must-watch and keeps you hooked the entire time. Underneath it all, amongst its many layers, the message it drives home is to not judge a book by its cover. Breaking stereotypes is a storyline most people can get on board with.

(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron) and Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) in DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, directed by Pierre Perifel. © 2022 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The comedy is well-written and clever, including a little something silly for the tots. The animation style in the film is more “comic book” than Zootopia and that adds to the appeal of the film. The linework goes well with the colour scheme in the background. The soundtrack is excellent and fits into the plot without stealing focus from the movie.

As someone who’s been known to spoil movies for herself by guessing endings, The Bad Guys was exciting and unpredictable right up till the very end. While intended to be a children’s movie, it is guaranteed to provide entertainment for adults too. Unleash your inner child and head on to watch The Bad Guys. It will surely get your tail wagging!

Check times & dates for Hoyts HERE, then head to Sylvia Park for a delightful family movie to go with your popcorn.