The Bad Guys

The "Bad Guys" make the most secure location look like a candy store, and they tease the hapless police chief "Luggins" who seems incapable - despite having gazillions of officers - to catch them. Enter the new governor "Foxington" who basically ridicules them, declaims their achievement and provokes them into pulling the ultimate crime - the theft of the golden dolphin. What now ensues is an "Ocean's 5" style logistics exercise as the five of them carefully plan the theft. The trophy is to be presented to the icon of decency "Professor Marmalade" but is he quite who he seems? Is the governor? These films are a bit ten-a-penny, and this one isn't really very special. The dialogue is entertainingly quick-fire now and again (especially the snake and the piranha); "Weaps" - the extra nimble taratunla provides the gadgetry and the animation is efficient with plenty of action once the film gets moving. The ending, though, is daft and hurried and who knew there were so many millions of guinea pigs in the world!? I saw this on my own on a big screen, but I think this will do just as well on the television.

I really enjoyed the movie. It's funny, the action scenes are very well done, the characters are charming, the dialogues are excellent and the animation style, in a mix of 2D and 3D, is the icing on the cake to complete an (almost) perfect animation.

'Almost' because the plot was pretty average. It's interesting and even brings a nice message, but I think it lacked a little more development, especially in making the movie more unpredictable. Halfway through the movie you already knew who the villain was and how the movie was going to end. They even added multiple 'twists' to make the story more unpredictable, but almost all of them were far-fetched and failed to surprise me.

Despite that, this movie was a breath of originality from Dreamworks after a decade of bland animations. I'll give it a solid 8.

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"The Bad Guys is one of the lightest, most pleasant, genuinely positive viewings of the year. With a clear distinction between being "good" and "bad", stereotypes and preconceived notions are brilliantly addressed in a sweet redemption story that doesn't try to reinvent the wheel.

The voice cast is exceptional, elevating an admittedly formulaic narrative in a remarkably impactful manner. Despite being more geared towards children, the entertainment levels are high enough for any generation. The blend of 2D and 3D animation works flawlessly, offering an overall distinct look compared to what audiences are used to.

In the end, it's yet another recommendation for families."

Rating: B