The Bad Guys 2
DreamWorks Animation's "The Bad Guys 2," a sequel to the popular 2022 film, continues the adventures of a reformed animal criminal crew trying to live a good life. Released on August 1, 2025, this animated action-comedy follows Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha, and Ms. Tarantula as they struggle with public perception and the allure of their old ways, only to be drawn into a new high-stakes heist orchestrated by a new team of "Bad Girls." The film, rated PG, maintains the stylish animation and heist-movie vibe of its predecessor, blending action, humor, and themes of redemption and the challenges of societal re-entry. It aims to deliver an entertaining experience for a broad family audience, focusing on messages about making good choices and the consequences of actions. While the movie promises fast-paced action and humor, including slapstick comedy and fart jokes, it also touches on more mature themes such as manipulation, blackmail, and incarceration. Parental reviews suggest that the film offers positive messages about friendship, loyalty, and the possibility of change, but also includes mild profanity, suggestive banter, and cartoon violence. It explores the idea that overcoming past mistakes requires courage and grit, and that true goodness is not always easy or instantly rewarded. The film's overall tone is designed to be engaging for both children and adults, with some humor that may resonate more with older viewers.
Concerns
Violence
MediumThe movie features mostly slapstick cartoon violence, with characters experiencing falls, crashes, and minor injuries that are not graphic. However, some scenes depict characters being choked, losing teeth, or expressing violent thoughts.
Violence is primarily slapstick, involving characters flying across the screen and crashing into things without serious harm. Examples include a villain briefly choking two characters, characters losing a tooth or two, and Mr. Wolf getting a black eye. Other instances include Shark accidentally kicking a human priest through a window, Doom throwing knives without hurting anyone, and characters expressing violent thoughts such as Tarantula quip, "Snitches get stitches and sleep with the fishes," and Piranha screaming, "Tear him apart, limb from limb, until all he can remember is pain."
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe film includes light suggestive banter and romantic relationships. There are instances of kissing, mild flirtation, and implied sexual activity, along with some humorous suggestive dialogue.
Mr. Snake and Doom (a raven) have a romantic relationship, engaging in flirtatious banter and kissing, which includes Snake literally sucking on Doom's face during a kiss. Mr. Snake also uses a suggestive metaphor about lockpicking being like romance: "you gotta start gentle, playful, work your way into its little cold heart until all those defenses melt away," leading Mr. Piranha to question if they are still talking about the lock. There is also mild flirtation between Mr. Wolf and Governor Diane Foxington.
Profanity
MediumThe movie contains mild profanity, including one explicit use of "jacka--" and several stand-in profanities or euphemisms, alongside some rude humor.
An angry driver yells "jacka--" near the beginning of the film. Other instances include stand-in profanities like "holy shrimp," "what the thorax," or "what the hairbrush." There's also a scene where Mr. Snake uses his tail to make a gesture interpreted as "F-You," though it's subtle and likely understood only by adults. The word "crap" is also noted.
Substance Use
MediumThe movie shows incidental alcohol consumption at a wedding and implies a character is intoxicated. There is also a scene involving tranquilizer lollies, but no illegal drug use is depicted.
Characters are seen holding glasses of champagne at a wedding. Mr. Snake appears to be drunk at one point. Additionally, a character named Susan gives the Bad Guys lollies that contain a tranquilizer.
Scary & Intense Content
MediumThe film contains suspenseful action sequences, loud noises, and some characters with intimidating appearances or behaviors that could be frightening for younger children. The plot involves themes of manipulation and blackmail, adding intensity.
Intense action scenes include a high-speed car chase with crashes and havoc, as well as a rocket launch with huge explosions and smoke. Some characters, like the snarling Mr. Wolf or the yelling Police Commissioner Misty Luggins, can appear scary. The plot involves manipulation, blackmail, and characters being framed for crimes, creating a tense atmosphere. A villainous character also briefly chokes two others.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe core premise of the film involves a group of former criminals, initially rebellious and disrespectful of authority through their heists. While the sequel focuses on their journey to be good, elements of disrespect and defiance of rules are still present, particularly as they navigate societal distrust.
The Bad Guys, as former criminals, inherently displayed rebellion and disrespect in the first film by committing heists, a theme that carries into the sequel as they struggle against their reputation and societal expectations. Characters exhibit sarcastic remarks and occasional defiance, such as Mr. Snake's tail gesture interpreted as "F-You." One review notes the film's candid depiction of "manipulation, blackmail, politics, and depictions of incarceration," suggesting a world where defiance and overcoming difficult circumstances are central.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowExplicit searches for LGBTQ+ content in "The Bad Guys 2" did not yield direct evidence of LGBTQ+ characters, themes, or representation. Reviews mention a focus on a heterosexual relationship and increased female characters for gender diversity, but not LGBTQ+ identity.
Searches for "The Bad Guys 2" combined with terms like lgbtq, gay, lesbian, transgender, queer representation, and LGBTQ characters, as well as director Pierre Perifel's statements, did not confirm any LGBTQ+ content. One Reddit discussion mocks the idea of complaining about same-sex relationships, noting that Mr. Snake, a male, is dating Doom, a female raven, and that children can understand different species dating but some would object to a male raven, implying the relationship is heterosexual. Mediaversity Reviews notes that "nearly all the new characters are women," aiming to address the gender imbalance from the first film, but this refers to female representation rather than LGBTQ+ identity.
Witchcraft & Occult
LowThe film includes casual allusions to Eastern spirituality through a character practicing yoga, but it is portrayed with a cliched hippie vibe rather than a deep exploration of occult or magical themes. No explicit witchcraft or occult rituals are depicted.
Mr. Snake embraces a laid-back hippie lifestyle, attending yoga classes and fashioning himself into a "spiritual self-help guru." This is played for humor with a cliched vibe rather than representing a serious engagement with Eastern spirituality or occult practices. There are no depictions of magic rituals, spellcasting, demons, or supernatural events.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe film does not contain explicit anti-Christian themes or mockery. It focuses on universal themes of redemption, making good choices, and the struggle to change one's reputation. Some Christian reviewers found positive, affirmable messages in the narrative.
The Christian Post noted that "The Bad Guys 2" delivers a timely message about integrity and that it's "never too late to change." The Collision review, a Christian outlet, states that the film reflects Jesus' exhortation in Luke 9:23 about denying oneself and taking up one's cross daily, and affirms themes of working hard to do good and the difficulties of living a reformed life. While there is a brief, clichéd allusion to Eastern spirituality with Mr. Snake's yoga practice, it does not overtly disrespect Christian beliefs. A character making the sign of the cross during a near-death experience is also mentioned.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Parental guidance is recommended for children under 10 due to animated violence, some scary scenes, mild suggestive banter, and coarse language. The film is generally suitable for ages 7 and up, with children aged 10-11 advised parental guidance, and acceptable for ages 12 and over.
Additional Notes
Parents should be aware that while the film carries positive messages about redemption and good choices, the presence of slapstick violence, mild suggestive humor, and occasional coarse language might require discussion with younger viewers. The complexity of the plot, involving manipulation and framing, may be better suited for older children and teens to fully grasp. The film does feature a strong female presence in new characters.
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