Follow-ups to animated films are not immune to the Hollywood groupthink that they have to be bigger and more lavish than their predecessors. Such is certainly the case with the sequel to The Bad Guys, the 2022 hit adapted from Aaron Blabey’s best-selling graphic book series. Beginning with an elaborate caper and car chase through the streets of Cairo that would make Tom Cruise jealous, The Bad Guys 2 seeks to outshine the original at every turn. It smacks of overkill, but fortunately the film, smartly directed by Pierre Perifel, also features the same wit and charm that proved so appealing to youngsters and adults alike in the first movie.

At the film’s beginning, the Reservoir Dogs-style-named anthropomorphized animal criminal group — consisting of leader Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), comically inappropriate master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), quick-tempered Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) — have been released from prison and are attempting to go straight. But it proves difficult considering their criminal past, as demonstrated by a very funny scene featuring Mr. Wolf applying for a job at a bank he’s robbed multiple times. Needless to say, he doesn’t get it.

The Bad Guys 2

The Bottom Line

Bigger but not badder.

Release date: Friday, August 1
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonee, Maria Baklova, Zazie Beetz, Richard Ayodade, Lilly Singh, Alex Bornstein
Director: Pierre Perifel
Co-director: JP Sans
Screenwriters: Yoni Brenner, Etan Cohen
Rated PG,
1 hour 44 minutes

So it’s not surprising that they find themselves pulled back into committing another heist. This time, they’re partnered with the distaff Bad Girls: snow leopard Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks), their ruthless leader; wild boar Pigtail (Maria Bakalova), their science wizard; and raven Doom (Natasha Lyonne, right on the heels of her stellar voice work in Smurfs), with whom Mr. Snake has been romantically involved. (We get to see them in a make-out session, involving Mr. Snake hilariously unhinging his jaw).

The caper, involving the theft of a rocket ship from a tech billionaire (Colin Jost) bearing no small resemblance to a certain chainsaw-wielding real-life figure, is silly enough to justify the film’s use of the term MacGuffinite as one of its principal elements. It definitely smacks of James Bond, from its Moonraker-like foray into outer space to its diabolical plot to steal the world’s entire supply of gold.

Along the way, there are colorful episodes galore, including one involving a Mexican wrestling match, and the return of numerous supporting characters from the first film. One highlight involves Wolf’s love interest, the literally and figuratively foxy Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz), visiting the villainous Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) in prison looking for advice. Now seriously bulked-up, the massive guinea pig greets her like a rodent Hannibal Lecter.

The film features far too many fart jokes courtesy of the ever-flatulent Mr. Piranha, although that can be readily forgiven in an animated film since the small fry always find those hilarious. But the screenplay by Yoni Brenner and Etan Cohen is generally much smarter than that, featuring a plethora of sly one-liners revolving more around characterizations than pop-culture references. It helps mightily that they’re delivered by such a stellar ensemble of performers, who actually seem to have been cast for their vocal abilities rather than their names (although there’s no shortage of star power).

All of them are absolutely terrific, but the clear stand-out, now and before, is Rockwell, who invests his portrayal with the same flair and precision evident in his live-action performances.

Displaying the same visual dynamism as its precursor, The Bad Guys 2 garners even more laughs with its abrupt edits that land like animated mic drops. Daniel Pemberton’s lively musical score adds to the antic fun.