The Bad Guys

***The Bad Guys*** is a 2022 American animated crime comedy film produced by Amblimation, Scholastic Entertainment and DreamWorks Animation, and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is directed by Pierre Perifel (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Etan Cohen and Hilary Winston, based on the children's book series of the same name by Aaron Blabey, who serves as executive producer. It stars the voice talents of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Lilly Singh, and Alex Borstein.

While the character animation is traditionally-animated by Amblimation, the computer-generated backgrounds are handled by DreamWorks Animation with both studios working together on the half 2D/half CGI props and visual effects.

The film theatrically released in the United States on April 22, 2022, by Universal Pictures, in 2D and 3D formats. It received generally positive reviews from critics for its animation, writing, humor and voice acting.

## Plot

In a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist, cool-headed pickpocket and robber Mr. Wolf leads The Bad Guys, a gang of infamous criminal animals who commit brazen thefts and evade police chief Misty Luggins and the authorities, due to the public's opinion of them as inherently "bad" animals.

After being insulted by Governor Diane Foxington on live television, Wolf convinces his gang to pull off a heist to steal a trophy called the Golden Dolphin before it is awarded to the year's recipient, guinea pig philanthropist Professor Marmalade, at a gala. During the heist, Wolf inadvertently helps an elderly woman and is praised for the good deed, leading to Wolf becoming confused at a "weird feeling" (his reaction to being thanked). After the gang is exposed and arrested as result of their failed escape attempt, Wolf persuades Foxington to let Marmalade reform them, planning to take advantage of them to steal the award again.

Marmalade invites the gang to his home, but they struggle with his lessons, unable to adapt to good behavior. After a "heist for good" to rescue a herd of guinea pigs from a research lab fails due to Wolf's second-in-command, Mr. Snake, eating them, Foxington decides to call off the experiment but relents when Wolf confesses that he became a criminal because he despises being hated for his species; she admits she understands and has hope for him. Wolf contemplates the matter and finds himself rescuing a cat from a tree, which Marmalade records and publishes, turning the public image of the gang around. However, Snake fears that he is losing touch with his friend.

The gang plans to execute a new heist to steal the award again during a gala, but Wolf hesitates to do his part of the plan, and fails. Suddenly, the meteorite on display is stolen, causing the gang to be blamed for the theft. When they are arrested, Marmalade meets them in private and reveals that he was in disguise as the old woman whom Wolf had helped, he stole the meteorite, and he had planned for the gang to take the blame. Wolf reacts by lashing out but is seen doing so by the public, reinforcing their negative opinion of The Bad Guys. In prison, Wolf explains to his gang that he does not want to be a criminal anymore and that they can improve, but Snake refuses, believing that the world will never see them as anything other than monsters. As they are led to their cells, a mysterious person, later found to be Foxington, rescues them. Wolf then identifies her as The Crimson Paw, a criminal mastermind who suddenly stopped commiting crimes.

Upon reaching safety, the gang abandons Wolf and refuse to accept that they can change. When they return to their hideout, they find it completely emptied of their loot, as Wolf revealed its location to Foxington earlier at the gala as compensation for his crimes. After Snake willingly gives the childish Mr. Shark their last Push Pop out of kindness, the others realize that they can change their ways and proceed to join Wolf. However, Snake denies it and abandons them to ally with Marmalade, who plans to use the meteorite to power a mind-control device to hypnotize an army of guinea pigs into stealing his own charity funds for personal use.

Meanwhile, Foxington reveals to Wolf that she reformed when she attempted to steal the Golden Dolphin herself but realized that she was only what everyone saw her as, and then decided to instead help people. Wolf and Foxington break into Marmalade's home to steal the meteorite, only to be captured by Marmalade and Snake. They are rescued by the rest of The Bad Guys, and then steal the meteorite and foil Marmalade's heist. They arrive at the police station to turn in the meteorite, until Wolf decides to give Snake a chance to return despite his betrayal. During the chase, Marmalade betrays Snake to get Wolf to return the meteorite, and steals the meteorite back.

After rescuing Snake from falling to his death and destroying Marmalade's mind-control helmet, the gang surrenders to the authorities to prevent Foxington from revealing her former criminal past. Marmalade attempts to take credit for recovering the meteorite, but it is revealed to be a fake planted by Snake, who had faked his defection, secretly switched it for a meteorite-shaped lamp, and overcharged the real one inside Marmalade's basement, causing it to destroy Marmalade's residence. Then, a diamond Marmalade stole from Foxington falls from his suit, which Luggins recognizes as having been stolen by the Crimson Paw years ago. Implicated as the Crimson Paw and revealed to be the meteorite thief, Marmalade is arrested.

In a mid-credits scene set a year later, the gang is released early from prison in light of their good behavior and leave with Foxington, having reformed and going to their new jobs.