christian movie reviews bad guys

The Bad Guys

Reviewed by: David Cook CONTRIBUTOR

The negative effects of stereotyping people / prejudice / prejudging

Setting: Los Angeles, California in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist

Entertainment films that promote some basic biblical values

A gang of notorious, criminal animals who are exposed and arrested

About ROBBERY in the Bible

Thieves in the Bible: theft , robbery , the two thieves

What is SIN AND WICKEDNESS? Answer

A bad guy wolf who repents and reforms, becoming a crime fighter

Several reformed yet misunderstood criminal animals attempt to become good, with some disastrous results along the way.

Hypocritical politician who secretly does evil deeds

Does character matter in political leaders? Answer

What part should morality play in politics? Answer

What is JUSTICE? What does the Bible say about it? Answer

Justice of God

How can I know what is RIGHT or WRONG? Answer

How can I DISCERN whether a particular activity is wrong? Answer

Doing good feels good—it is what we were created to do

Importance of self-control and patience

Self-sacrifice and sharing

Putting the needs of others before our own

For a follower of Christ, what is LOVE —a feeling, an emotion, or an action?

This film is based on the book The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey.

W hat animal scares you the most?

Add a piranha and a wolf, and you have the main characters of Dreamworks’ newest animated feature “The Bad Guys.”

Mr. Wolf ( Sam Rockwell — “Moon,” “ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ”) has always been viewed as a bad guy by those around him. I mean, it’s true. Every storybook villain seems to be a big, bad wolf.

Well, after a lifetime of these presuppositions, Wolf has embraced this villainous reputation along with his team of bad guys—Mr. Snake, Mr. Tarantula, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha. Together, they torment their city with a life of crime. They are outcasts to the world around them, clash with each other, but they remain each others’ only friends. It’s not a perfect life, but they have accepted it.

During their most recent heist, Wolf finds himself in the most unexpected place—helping an elderly woman. She doesn’t view him as a tyrant. She doesn’t see him as scary. She sees him as her hero. Wolf has never been viewed this way, and it makes him feel…well…good. Now, he wonders, could all those assumptions about him and his friends be wrong? Could they, instead, be “good” guys? This leads to a journey of personal realization that results in some crazy twists and turns as they try to achieve something special—Change.

“The Bad Guys” is the feature directorial debut of Pierre Perifel, who had previously worked with franchises like “ Kung Fu Panda ,” “ Curious George ,” and “ .” He’s made a beautiful film that resembles last year’s “The Mitchells vs. The Machines,” and the critically acclaimed “ Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse .” However, where those films are a constant assault on your senses, “The Bad Guys” takes moments to slow down and let the audience breathe. Its sense of humor will reach kids with its silliness—like a snake wearing fake arms to blend into a crowd, and it will reach adults with its parodies of films like “ Ocean’s Eleven ” and “ Pulp Fiction .”

Even with its silliness, “The Bad Guys” examines some serious topics. At one point, Wolf meets the Mayor, who happens to be a fox. He is a criminal, and she is a successful community leader. Though their lives are polar opposites, she reminds him, “At their core, foxes and wolves aren’t that different.” It reminds us to never judge a book by its cover, and it strongly urges us to consider the needs of others over ourselves as it says in Philippians 2:3-5 NLT:

Don’t be selfish ; don’t try to impress others. Be humble , thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

This is a family film, and it is quite family-friendly. There is some animated action, crimes, and about a million mind-controlled guinea pigs—many of whom meet their demise. There is a prop that looks like a butt, and it is referenced frequently by the characters. One character has bad gas that impacts the story a couple times, but there is very little objectionable material in this film.

The positives outweigh the negatives, and I think “The Bad Guys” has a very poignant moment. A crowd is praising the main characters that were once considered evil and scary, but one brief instance causes the crowd to lose faith in them again. It shows that they never truly trusted those characters, and I doubt they ever will. It was a very honest moment in an otherwise playful family film.

Violence: Mild
Profane language: Minor— “OMG” (acronym)
Vulgar/Crude language: Minor— 2 euphemisms: • “fudge” • “Get the pack out of here” / plus some mild toilet humor
Alcohol: Minor social drinking
Nudity: Minor— • two male animal characters revealed briefly in their boxers
Occult: None

Who is the only one who can truly change a bad person’s personality to good and righteous? Answer: Jesus Christ

What is GOODNESS? Answer

What is RIGHTEOUSNESS? Answer

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

Ocean’s Eleven meets Fantastic Mr. Fox and Zootopia

Sometimes we think we can tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys,” but most often it is not as easy as what the external shows. That is true with films too. Sometimes we see a trailer and have certain expectations, and then find that the movie was better or worse than we were led to believe. DreamWorks The Bad Guys Christian Movie Review will give you, as the parent, information regarding content before watching this film.

Additionally, I will let you know my overall viewing recommendation and teachable moments within this film. To find out how I do movie reviews, read MORE!

DreamWorks The Bad Guys Christian Movie Review Synopsis:

“Nobody has ever failed so hard at trying to be good as The Bad Guys.”

From DreamWorks “In the new action-comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on the New York Times best-selling book series, a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws is about to attempt their most challenging con yet—becoming model citizens. Never have there been five friends as infamous as The Bad Guys—dashing pickpocket Mr. Wolf (Academy Award® winner Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), seen-it-all safecracker Mr. Snake (Marc Maron, GLOW), chill master-of-disguise Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson, Hot Tub Time Machine franchise), short-fused “muscle” Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos, In the Heights) and sharp-tongued expert hacker Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians), aka “Webs.”

The plot is based on a gang of bad guys (who happen to be friends). These friends plan heists and live the bad life that they happen to enjoy. Mr. Fox (I could not stop thinking of Fantastic Mr. Fox) is the leader of the Bad Guys. Ms. Tarantula is a tech hacker. Mr. Snake acts as the lookout and can even be used in place of a rope.

They plan small heists and get away with it each time. But can Fox, Shark, Tarantula, Piranha, and Snake plan the ultimate heist of stealing The Golden Dolphin which is an award given to the best citizen?

However, to be successful, the band of friends needs to pretend to reform with the help of a “good guy” guinea pig philanthropist Professor Rupert Marmalade IV (Richard Ayoade, Paddington 2).

What Parents May Want to Know

DreamWorks The Bad Guys is a fun animated comedy that is witty, snarky, and delightful. While this movie is similar to what we have seen in the past, it is a cute twist on an age-old storyline of the bad guy turning good.

The CalArts style is employed in this film which is overly simplistic. The animals are humanlike, and the humans are odd-looking. The CGI is better than in many films.

Please keep in mind that I list things that I do not find personally objectionable. However, I try to list anything that any parent may not want their child to see or hear.

While the language is mild, there are instances of replacement words used in place of expletives such as “fudge.” The phrase “get the pack out of here” is said.

There were a couple of times that I thought “h-ll” might have been used, but the phrase was uttered in such a way that I couldn’t be sure.

OMG is said. The phrase, “I hate you guys the least” is spoken. Holy Moly is uttered. A person is called a sucker.

An acronym is found on a wall. “S.U.C.M.” Super Ultra Crazy Max? It was on the screen for such a short time. Drop me a comment if you caught what the letters stood for.

This film is full of animated violence. No one is killed despite bombs, explosions, high-speed car chases, kicking, punching, and mobs of animals overtaking people and vehicles. Some animals are tied up and shown being lowered into a pit of moving blades. They are rescued at the last minute.

Additionally, there is robbery, jewelry theft, pickpocketing, and a big heist is planned.

Finally, in the violent category, the snake does ingest other animals and a guinea pig is run over, but appears to be uninjured.

Sexual Content:

2 times male animals lose their pants and are standing in boxer shorts.

The shark (Mr. Shark) is dressed as a woman for the purpose of disguising himself to pull off the heist. While people may consider it “cross-dressing,” it is never implicated to be that.

Wolf, Pirahna, Shark, Snake and Tarantula taking a selfie in The Bad Guys

Spiritual Content:

References to Mother Teresa and a “Good Samaritan” award. Additionally, forgiveness is discussed.

One character mentions meditation. Another character asks, “Is this heaven?”

Guinea pigs have glowing eyes that look possessed. (It is caused by a mind control device).

Teachable Moments: DreamWorks The Bad Guys Christian Movie Review

The words we speak about people (our children, family, friends, and even strangers) have the ability to impact their lives. The “Bad Guys” were never given a chance to be good. Society expected them to be bad so they took on the life of crime. What does the Bible say about our words?

Social Studies:

Stereotypes: This movie is full of stereotypes. A stereotype is a widely held belief. It can be positive or negative and is overgeneralized. Example: Asian Americans are highly intelligent. Women are emotional. However, not all stereotypes are about people. We might believe that everyone gets sick on a cruise or French people are rude. Many times stereotypes are harmful. Discuss stereotypes.

Crime Doesn’t Pay: While much of this movie shows the bad guys getting away with crime and they enjoy doing so. They are rich, dress snazzy, have fun, and outrun the cops. In the end, they do spend time in jail. However, they make simple pickpocketing look fun.

English and Language Arts:

Foreshadowing: What is foreshadowing? It is a warning or indication of a future event. When used in a book or movie, it indicates something that will happen in the future.

At the beginning of the movie, there is a newspaper with the headline “Meteorite on Display.” This information points to a future event.

First, start by studying the animals in the film. Geography – locate where each animal lives and the type of habitat.

Nature Versus Nurture: Are bad guys born or made? This is a lifelong debate. The bad guys are born into a life of thievery just because of who they are. Mr. Wolf is automatically the bad guy in every storybook – Little Red Riding Hood, The 3 Little Pigs with the Big Bad Wolf, and The Gingerbread Boy (eaten by the wolf).

Mr. Shark has his own set of horror stories such as Jaws. Ironically, the author of Jaws says he regrets portraying sharks in such a bad light which resulted in them being hunted and killed in obscene numbers.

Whenever Mr. Wolf does something good he gets a tingly feeling in his tail and his tail wags. It occurs when he feels good such as when he performs good deeds.

There is a piece of art in the movie that is made from trash. In fact, Mr. Wolf and Governor Diane Foxington (the fox) discuss the piece of art that sits outside the building where they are hosting the Good Samaritan Awards. Wolf believes the statue is trash, however, Foxington says, “I think it’s about perspective.” When they view the sculpture from a different angle (the shadow the statue makes on the building), you see a swan.

One idea is to go to an art gallery (or get a book from the library) and have everyone share what they see in a sculpture or painting. How does a piece of art make you feel? Expect everyone to have a different perspective. This is an important lesson for children to learn. What one person loves another may hate.

Viewing Recommendations for The Bad Guys Christian Movie Review

While this movie is mild by today’s standards, there may be things that bother small children. My age recommendation is ages 7 and up. In fact, I do think younger children may be upset by the snake eating hundreds of guinea pigs or the glowing eyes of the guinea pigs.

Furthermore, items that were once considered funny in Looney Tunes cartoons such as Bugs Bunny dressing as a woman are now a touchy subject matter for some families.

Notable line

Diane Foxington: …This is a chance to write your own story. To find a better life for you and your friends.”

Movie Info and MPAA Rating

Release Date: April 22, 2022

Rating PG for action and rude humor

Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes

The Bad Guys is an animated Adventure Comedy

Tagline: Good is No Fun at All

Cast of The Bad Guys

Director: Pierre Perifel

Producer: Damon Ross, Rebecca Huntley

Executive Producer: Aaron Blabey, Ethan Cohen, Patrick Hughes

Mr. Wolf Sam Rockwell

Mr. Snake Marc Maron

Mr. Shark Craig Robinson

Mr. Piranha Anthony Ramos

Ms. Tarantula Awkwafina

Professor Marmalade Richard Ayoade

Diane Foxington AKA The Crimson Paw Zazie Beetz

Tiffany Fluffit Lilly Singh

Police chief Misty Luggins Alex Borstein

Old Lady Barbara Goodson

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is the bad guys streaming anywhere.

The film releases on April 22, 2022 into theaters. Eventually, the film will stream on Peacock, the NBC Universal Streaming Service. Eventually, it is set to stream on Netflix. Dates have not been announced at this time.

Where Can I watch The Bad Guys?

Currently, Dreamworks The Bad Guys is only in theaters.

Is The Bad Guys movie on Disney+?

No, The Bad Guys is a Dreamworks movie and not a Disney movie. At one point, Walt Disney Studios and Dreamworks had a distribution agreement, but that ended in 2016.

Who is the leader of The Bad Guys?

Mr. Wolf (voiced by Sam Rockwell) is the leader of the Bad Guys gang.

Is The Bad Guys movie based on a book?

Yes, the movie is based on the Scholastic book series by Aaron Blabey. These books (graphic novels) are aimed at books and girls 6-10 years old. Reading levels: Grade 2-5. Additionally, they are the #1 New York Times best-selling children’s book series.

In the book, Mr. Piranha is from Bolivia.

The DreamWorks logo has Mr. Wolf climb to the moon with a grapple gun to replace the fisher boy in the logo.

In the books, Mr. Wolf’s first name is Moe.

What animals wear pajamas in the film?

Mr. Wolf wears a sheep pajama references the phrase “a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is literally (at that point in the film) a wolf in sheepskin.

Mr. Snake wears unicorn pajamas.

Miss Taranatula wears blue cat pajamas.

Mr. Piranha wears bear pajamas.

Mr. Shark wears purple walrus pajamas

What is the references to George Clooney?

Mr. Wolf: Time to launch the charm offensive.

Mr. Shark: oh yeah! The full Clooney

Is Mr. Wolf played by George Clooney?

Unfortunately, Mr. Wolf is not George Clooney. However, the director said, “Wolf was supposed to be that kind of charming guy, and the usual suspect would have been George Clooney.”

What city does The Bad Guys take place?

There is a map shown during the movie. While it seems that the map is of San Diego, it appears to be set in Southern California (potentially Los Angeles or San Diego).