Okay, as someone who looked forward to watching The Bad Guys, I was shocked to learn the sequel came out the day after my partner and I watched it. I know I've been knee deep in the furry gooner coal mines all my life, but I genuinely felt things from the sequel that are profound and need to be put on the hellsite for preservation. So, here's an honest review of The Bad Guys 2, and why it's one of the best sequels I've ever seen.
SPOILERS FOR BOTH MOVIES, PLEASE AVOID IF YOU HAVENT SEEN THEM.
To start, I want to lay out my honest to goodness impression of the film. I do not believe this film works as a sequel as much as it does a second part to the original. It's more of the same, but it's also a clever inversion of the original plot with very many interesting things to say about the nature of morality and innate/manmade good or evil. I also found the commentary it made on how we as society perceive this (or rather, fail to) very profound. Now, why do I feel this way? I'm gonna focus on a few different things and this is gonna seem scattered, so bear with me.
POINT 1: AN EXTENSION OF TBG1
When I finished the first movie blind before the second one, I found the fact that everything was fresh on my mind to be very helpful. The world, themes, characters, and relationships in no way change at the beginning of the sequel, but they don't dwell on it or explain it in ways that make it clear it's been years since the last one. For people like me, nods and eventual payoffs for characters like Diane, Professor M, and even Snake were satisfying... Yet, they give the hypothetical sequel-only viewer enough to go off of without requiring the whole story.
The strongest example of this is the entirety of The Bad Guys' good arc, starting them in a reasonable place for both new and old viewers. They dont dwell on why or how they got there, but Wolf's interactions with people like Diane or Chief/Commissioner cement the lack of need for much context to follow the plot and lives of these characters.
That said, the way the sequel expands on existing plotlines rather than simply referencing them is incredibly satisfying for those who viewed the first film. Professor M is shaped by his failure and has resentment for Diane, but the film doesn't have to explain why since it's clear he was framed for being The Crimson Paw when it's clearly explained she was them all along.
Diane and Wolf's relationship is acknowledged in the boxing scene in a way that doesn't rely on strong reiteration as much as it does reflection from the two. Even for those who didnt see the first, it brings something interesting to the table with the acknowledgement that there may be romantic chemistry between them (as if the first one didnt make it excruciatingly obvious). So, for those who DID see the first, it's all the more satisfying - we get something fresh from it to detract from the fact the well-disguised reminders is exposition. I'll touch on their relationship in another section.
The growth of character is obvious in the way The Bad Guys interface with life - struggling to find jobs due to their past, despite all their good they did. Its a realistic and raw look at how things arent as good as they seemed after the ending of the original, and I think that's a realistic inversion of the last movie's happy-go-lucky intro. Sure, they did the same this time, but only in a flashback - and a flashback that introduces a character that returns no less, so NOT a meaningless one.
Whereas in the first movie where Wolf is the first to go embrace his good side in a group of bad people, this expectation is turned in a bad way with the introduction of Kitty, Pigtail and Doom. Kitty is the antithesis of Wolf, someone who's bad for the sake of being bad, whereas Wolf took the chance he got to be good since being bad was a way of making ends meet. Their skills both lent to being good at heists and quick thinking, but Kitty never felt the taste of being loved and wanted that Diane gave Wolf - someone who believed in her, not out of necessity like Doom or Pigtail (who share the same ending as the gang in the first movie, funny enough). Wolf falls victim to getting a taste of badness again without consequence of anything other than blackmail against Diane, but that's a false sense of security. Rather, Wolf realizes that Kitty isn't like him when Kitty reveals her real perspective - that being a twisted version of Diane's. Everyone has two sides, but unlike Diane who has hope that the good in people can prevail (like herself), Kitty dwells on fear and security - the one thing she knows. Above all, Kitty desires control, and in the climax it's shown that she's even willing to do away with her only allies in order to maintain her status quo - safety and power. But she's alone, and will never open up. I find Kitty's motivations far more fascinating than Professor M's, and I think the existence of him as a third party that both sides turn to is a far more fitting role for a directionless free-radical like him.
Case and point, the message this time is about knowing you can turn to people to bring out the best in you - and support one another, even if everything and everyone hates you. That's the ultimate parallel to the first movie's theme about how anyone can be good regardless of their past or circumstances. The first movie tells you that anyone can change, and the second movie tells you that maintaining change means willing to trust others and yourself.
POINT 2: MY GOD I LOVE THEM ALL
The characters... Oh my god, the characters. Where do I begin? Tying into the themes of the scenario being an inverse of the first movie, it's fascinating seeing the introverted Bad Guys attempt to branch out as fish out of water. Like I said before, not only is this realistic, it also is realistically affecting them as Individuals no longer learning to trust... but now to trust *blindly*.
Wolf as the group's leader all this time has to have done his best to give the others comfort... But in a world where he knows he cant promise it now, he's humbled. He trusts out of desire for security in the form of acceptance, of which there's no guarantee of it. Kitty as his foil finds security in fear, which is the life the gang intentionally tries to get away from. Siding with Kitty and signing his soul away is a representation of Wolf grappling with his tendencies, his old ways... But he has to learn not to waver, lest he lose the one he loves. The conflict that stems from this helps mold Wolf into someone who can have hope, and people like Diane are there on the sidelines to reassure him in his time of doubt.
Speaking of Diane, her role in this movie was the one I was most looking forward to. Seeing that the majority of the movie's dilemmas and deep moral quandries relied on Diane's true identity and trust, I'd be lying if I said that her role as a 'side character' is far more important than even the directors must've first imagined.
This movie also seeks to test Diane's resolve, mainly in the form of her position as governor and Wolf's past putting distance between them. Kitty utilized that wedge to bend Wolf to her will, ultimately leading to a fixed outcome via the uploaded video. This reality-check is what truly reassures Wolf and allows him the confidence to win back Diane's trust. She threw away everything and was okay with it, because it meant that she could finally be with Wolf without shame. The kiss was easily the best part of the film for me, aside from them climbing the rocket. Amazing cinematography and cohesion to the principles of good animation.
Even characters like Snake and the rest of the gang underwent reasonable growth based on the last movie. They all in some way learned to loosen up and try new things, but artifacts of their old characters still shine through. Snake has embraced a zen lifestyle, but is lost in his rose-tinted glasses towards Doom (though this fake love eventually blooms into real love, not to mention Snake's stubbornness is reflected in his unwavering love for her despite her betrayals). Shark all across the movie struggles with impulse and acting out of anxiety, but his talent saves everyone when it comes time to open the airlock by brute force - ultimately showing that Shark can both be working on his impulses and live a good life, unlike what his interviewers at the beginning of the movie told him. Tarantula struggled with the fact that she's full of talent, and that everyone relies on her. Her past following her affects her the most, because it shows that even the most qualified person can be turned away if their past doesn't suit their needs. Tarantula holds fast and does what she always does, being useful to her team as best as she can and even finding friends in people like Pigtail, who have common/adjacent interests (engineering). Piranha most of all has to learn to mask his erratic and unpredictable behavior. His wild side is one that scares people more than anything, reassuring them that their biases and beliefs that he's still bad are true. He's the ultimate example of not judging a book by it's cover, and even despite his relatively unfunny fart humor being a character trait of his, he still finds ways for his bizarre self to be useful (saving Snake's life in the final act, for example).
Furthermore, every character in this film in my mind, old or new, all serve meaningful purposes to forward the plot and mystery of the grandest caper DreamWorks has ever put together.
POINT 3: PERSONAL PRAISES
As a lifelong LittleBigPlanet fan, seeing the Daniel Pemberton Orchestra having composed for the film's score was a massive shock to me once the credits rolled. (For those who dont know, they also score for The Spiderverse films). Even with my personal bias aside, the music they used for every scene felt fitting - from the emotional to the dramatic to the comedic. The snappy style and animation of the first film is back and better than ever, with all kinds of expressive emotions and squash/stretch in play. Everything in the film's presentation felt reasonable, and creative uses of perspective (I'm looking at you, Pigtail Luchador scene) made the sense of movement/action far more reasonable while still being exaggerated for greater effect.
Every car chase or escape had a sense of both speed and grandeur, what with their impressive sense of mounting pressure. The literal tidal waves of people made the sense of imposing all the more palpable while still making the comedic tone follow. It was crazy to the point of ridiculousness, and that all played in the film's favor. This same grandeur ties back in during the satellite magnet scene, where all the gold gathers all in one place.
The combat and action in this film also takes perfect advantage of each of the characters skill-sets. Wolf during his fight against Kitty uses moves that mirror what Diane taught him during the boxing scene, and Diane's fight against the three on the rocket's entryway also perfectly utilized her already-established quick and strong moves. Even characters who don't directly fight like Snake or Pirahna use their unique skills to aid the rest in combat. Snake is long and stretchy, and Pirhana is able to distract/stun people with his gaseous attacks.
The fact that none of the character arcs or relationships from the first movie are forgotten is a major indicator to me of continuity and care for each character and their story. Chief/Commissioner gets such a vast increase in characterization, which I really liked. Her acknowledging the fact that the gang keeps flipping from bad to good is an indicator that she, like the audience, is aware that the ending of the first movie wasn't perfect. With Professor M framed as The Crimson Paw, one could say that what happened to The Bad Guys involving the McGuffinite robberies via the other three is another clever inversion. Everyone learns to be honest with themselves and their crimes, which I really like.
The ending of the film, while at first I believed was a light cop-out, is actually a naturally bittersweet conclusion to the storyline that were established. One could first believe that the ending is the antithesis to the idea of everyone owing up to and being honest about who they truly are, but the act of faking their deaths is in itself representative of a new beginning. For their good deeds, they're given a chance to remove all their baggage and past in exchange for true freedom. They get to live their best lives as who they want to be finally, albeit achieving the status of how Diane was at the end of the first movie. They discard their past and get to work a job that works with their skillset without the history they carry behind them. As melancholy as it is that they can't return to their lives, the hope exists for them that things will be fine, despite everything - hence the final speech Wolf gives during the crash landing. The hope that Doom and Pigtail get to go down the path they went down exists, leading to the hope that they could also escape their pasts tied to Kitty and maybe even join them.
Personally, I'm of the mind that Doom and Snake will one day reunite and stay together, even if it's not. I'm also of the mind that Diane and Wolf's relationship is so cute that it may as well be gay, though, so what do I know, lol. /lh
The Bad Guys 2 is genuinely an amazing film as both a furry who loves all of these characters and someone who loves good storytelling. So much care went into these characters and their storylines, it's honestly really refreshing to see an actually good sequel with hype moments, aura, AND good writing.
Have a picture of my chud child I bought at the theater with my partner Faira. He has autism and I will protect him and his wife he pulled by being autistic.
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