Although it does have a few familiar and or lacking moments, The Bad Guys surprised the hell out of me through its incredible charm and swagger- not to mention its gorgeous animation style and highly entertaining antics. To be honest, when I first saw the trailer for this film all that time ago- I thought it would be nothing but another miss for Dreamworks Animation- which saddened me because the iconic company known for Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon has hardly had the same luck it used to with its animated properties in terms of film quality- with mediocre turns coming right and left with films like The Boss Baby, Trolls, and Abominable. What I love most about this company though is its diversity- not only in storytelling, but also in animation style, humor, and characters- and thankfully- The Bad Guys hits all 3 notes perfectly. First off, the casting for this film is just impeccable. Sam Rockwell as Wolf and Marc Maron as Snake are just some of the most perfect casting for an animated film i've seen since Dreamworks own Kung Fu Panda. Not only do Rockwell and Maron carry the script to a sly and charming success- but their performances cement the film in its finest moments. The other performers also do a fabulous job, including Zazie Beetz, Alex Borstein, Awkwafina, and Richard Ayoade- finishing off a rather stacked cast for an animated film with many other superstars and thankfully not just for the heck of it. The animation style is fantastic, and I was a bit hesitant from the trailers as well, but as I got to see it in full form rather than just clips- it was shockingly sooth and oddly fit the style and atmosphere of the film itself. It's so incredibly entertaining and fun that you will be willing to forgive some predictable plot points here and there and just soak in the fun times. It also proves to be rather sweet towards the end, which I always enjoy- and I never felt like one moment of its emotion was forced or unjustified which is shamefully present in too many films today obviously attempting to copy Pixar. In the end, The Bad Guys is a terrific time that definitely deserved better treatment than what it got at the box office. It's the most vibrant and clever animated flick in a long time and is easily one of the best animated films of the year so far.
My Rating: 8.6/10.
My Rating: 8.6/10.