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We all know that the bad guys are often the ones who – appropriately enough – steal the show, and in director Pierre Perifel’s feature film debut The Bad Guys, they are the whole show. In this stunning adaptation of the bestselling books of the same name by Aaron Blabey.
The film follows criminal gang Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) and Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), as they successfully pull off heist, after heist, after heist. But one chance encounter with goodness makes Wolf wonder if they don’t necessarily have to be bad, just because people expect that from them.
Like a family film answer to The Suicide Squad by way of Ocean’s Eleven and with dashes of Quentin Tarantino’s work (especially Pulp Fiction), The Bad Guys is just oh so good.
The characters are each an absolute joy and are all voiced to perfection by a superb cast, with Richard Ayoade and Zazie Beetz and Alex Borstein all offering up phenomenal supporting performances alongside the main gang.
Etan Cohen’s screenplay takes joy in toying with some of your expectations and the well trodden cliches of the heist genre. Wrapping up a twisting, stylish, crime story in a rather lovely tale of not subscribing to stereotypes or judging people before you know them.
This has to be Dreamworks Animation’s finest work since the likes of How To Train Your Dragon and the early Shrek films. Often hilarious for all ages, oozing with serious cool and boasting fast-paced animation that is as breathtakingly gorgeous as it is distinctively dazzling, The Bad Guys is the best animated film of the year so far.
