A blasé yet delightful take on a villain's redeption.
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The Bad Guys goes to show that there's nothing wrong with a cliché plot when it comes in the form of a joyful, buoyant animated offering like this one.
Directed by Pierre Perifel in his feature directorial debut, The Bad Guys is set in a world where walking, talking animals and humans co-exist. It seems that the general population live in fear of the infamous group of con artists - known as Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula. However, they have made a deal to go good to avoid serving prison time after taking some advice from Professor Marmalade. While Mr. Wolf and his gang are beginning to enjoy this new lifestyle, a new villain emerges.
The film is perfectly digestible for young kids to enjoy, yet the minimalist visual design will be sure to please adults. The feel-good plot of villain redemptions, however, feels less original and ambitious. Navigating the character development of the characters feels a tad too predictable, and the twists and turns in the moral compasses of characters in the film draw similarities to Disney's Zootopia.
The film's voice work is as refreshingly charismatic as can get - the cast has done a commendable job with introducing liveliness and vibrance into the anthropomorphic animals in the infamous gang. We can't sing enough praises for Sam Rockwell's sly yet beguilingly endearing portrayal of Mr. Wolf!
The Bad Guys is nothing close to a revolutionary addition to the animated film scene. While the film lacks any sort of unique appeal to differentiate itself from other animated offerings, it doesn't take away the fact that it was a delight to watch.
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