The Bad Guys 3D Blu-ray Review
MOVIE REVIEW
When it comes to Dreamworks movies, you have your Shreks and Princes of Egypts, your Trolls and Boss Babies, and then there's The Bad Guys. This very recent entry to the Dreamworks catalogue came about in Spring 2022. It revolves around a group of criminals, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Piranha, and Mr. Snake. They've built up a reputation for the crimes they commit, the things they steal, and the way they get away with it. However, when one of their plans ends up going wrong, the five people are sent to be rehabilitated by a guinea pig named Professor Marmalade. Initially, these five bad guys cave into the professor's plan as long as it ends up falling in line with their own plan to go back into the world and finish their job. But when Mr. Wolf starts to discover that maybe he, and his friends, don't have to live out their lives as the big scary criminals the world sees them as, things start to go amok among the group of thieves. Friendships are being tested, characters are re-examining themselves, and a threat from the outside rises in the chaos.
Let me get this out of the way real quick: the key to enjoying The Bad Guys is expectations. Animated films come in all shapes and sizes. But the ones Dreamworks specializes in are family movies and kids movies. Those two types of film may seem to intertwine. But identifying which is which is not as hard as you'd think. Family films are among the ranks of The Incredibles and the recent Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. While these animated films can be perfectly enjoyed by kids, they also come in with a storyline and themes that also do a great job of entertaining the adults, sometimes even more so than the kids. Kids movies, though, are the movies like Paw Patrol: The Movie or The Lorax, where the target audience is made very clear. That doesn't mean all films like these can't be somewhat appreciated by adults. But its often not for the same reasons that have made the former films such icons in todays entertainment landscape.
The Bad Guys leans a bit more on the side of a kids movie than a family film. It has plenty of aspects that make for memorable Dreamworks flicks such as a new 2D to 3D animation style, a storyline that looks like something pretty creative on paper, and quite a few good plots twists. The film delivers in those areas for sure. But it also carries a few more kids movie tropes than one probably might be expecting. These include things along the lines of: occasional fart jokes, heavy-handed morals, jokes that just don't land, expected plot twists, and predictable character arcs. If seeing this as a family movie, I can see how one can get a bit turned off by some of these elements.
However, as a kids movie, The Bad Guys really isn't "bad" at all. As for the story, it goes through some of the familiar beats you'd expect from a story like this. But it adds enough of its own fun-loving, unique, and ultimately charming style to it that it goes down pretty easy. And being a heist movie, there are some genuinely interesting plot twists that occur. The characters are likable and thoroughly easy to enjoy, even if the dialogue coming from them seems a little on the nose in a few places. The jokes here aren't quite the kind that will have you rolling in the aisle, but none of them will have you groaning. And once in a while, there are actually quite a few that can get a good chuckle out of you.
The Bad Guys isn't by any means top-tier Dreamworks. It's not quite as witty as the Shrek films nor clever and subversive as Megamind. But in its own right, I think it does it job and, like the crew, does it well. It is pretty primarily a kids movie, but I think its one of the best kind of kids movie: one that both brings the kids the fun they crave while also being charming enough that adults that they too can appreciate its creative aspect. Personally, I ended up having a very enjoyable time with The Bad Guys and I can certainly see others having a similar experience. Will it remain one of the more memorable movies to come out from Dreamworks in the coming years? Only time will tell. But even if not, I think it'll still remain a good, solid animated flick that kids and adults can revisit every now and again. And in an age where things like Trolls 3 are getting made, I think we ought to be grateful for that.
OVERALL FILM RATING: 3.5/5
3D REVIEW
At this point, do I even need to bring up Dreamworks's track record of 3D filmmaking? The day they put out a bad looking 3D film is the day we start seeing humanoid wolves robbing banks. Now, as far as Dreamworks movies go, is The Bad Guys one of their best 3D outings? To that I say, not exactly. This isn't How to Train Your Dragon where the 3D is an absolute must. But if you do decide to go down the 3D path with this one, you're still certainly in for a fun treat.
Obviously, the thing that makes The Bad Guys stand out the most as a film is its visual style. It's almost like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse where there's a blend between traditionally animated designs and 3D environments. It makes for an interesting watch for sure, and it bring the 3D experience here a notch or two above some of the other animated films. From a in-the-screen depth standpoint, there's much to take in. Cityscapes go deep into the screen, along with views of the sky and ocean in a few scenes. Buildings, billboards, bridges, and other large city-related structures all have weight and clear separation in 3D space. We get everything from out the window views to inside vent shots to car chases with long views down city streets to even a view of some power lines that make for not only opportunity for great depth, but also great 3D composition.
The depth never even lets up in indoor scenes. From places such as galas, prisons, to even modest places such as an apartment, the spaces all have great 3D shape and size. And shots in scenes like these that involve crowds allow for some fun 3D views. Even when the characters are just simply standing and talking to one another, the separation between them is made abundantly clear and doesn't allow the shot to get boring. And that's also a bit helped by the creatures's stylistic designs. When the big shark is walking around, you can feel how big he is. And vice versa is true for the small guinea pigs. Some of my favorite shots in this category involve Mr. Snake, who will often have his head standing right on the screen and the rest of his body will go on into the background.
Ok, now that you know the film is top notch in the depth department, the question now becomes: does the movie have any fun with it? And I'm happy to say, yes. The Bad Guys knows how use 3D to its advantage. Like I said before, there is plenty of good composition used throughout the film. In more modest moments, we get a couple views from the inside of a fridge, views inside larges tunnels, a couple top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top views of a palm tree, and other related things like lasers and guinea pigs. But at the height of the film's fun, we get things like car chases with fluid camera movements and smoke, money, and cars flying all over the place, a scene of characters falling, explosions, hand-to-hand fighting, and more that make the 3D viewing all the more mesmerizing. Pop outs? You've got it. Like I said before, the first car chase sequence has smoke, money, and flying cars. But you also get an ice pop, Mr. Snake, an iPhone, a herd of guinea pigs, characters fighting each other, a mad police officer pointing her finger out, and more. Now, this isn't exactly Puss in Boots: The Last Wish where the pop outs are very frequent and creative. But when they come, they come with some good flare.
With all the praise that I've given the movie for its 3D, I think it might be time for me to give out just a couple words against its favor. All things considered, for as good as the 3D is, there are some times when although the depth is certainly present, it doesn't particularly feel like its being used in a groundbreaking fashion. There are definitely times when the 3D adds plenty of fun to the film. But with the story being a bit more plot focused than action focused, there parts like the inside of a cafe or in Professor Marmalade's house where you start to question whether the 3D is indeed necessary. It's almost the same thing I had with The Super Mario Bros. Movie where the 3D is never by any means bad, and a lot of the time, it even shines. But there isn't much that breaks ground in terms of what 3D can do, and there's just enough time in the film where the 3D isn't being dedicated to enough that it falls short of the "excellent" category.
Still, if a slight lack of 3D utilization in a couple of places is the worst thing you can say about a 3D film, you know you have a well-done presentation on your hands. The Bad Guys is yet another fun 3D outing put out by Dreamworks that will entertain kids and adults alike with the right amount of depth and pop out to make for an engaging viewing. It might not win over anyone who's not all that much into 3D. But for fans of the format, it will certainly satisfy.
3D RATING: GREAT
OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D:
Real Future Picture's Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFCGdQ03_-0
3D or 2D Review: https://www.3dor2d.com/reviews/the-bad-guys-3d-movie-review
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Bad Guys may not be top-tier Dreamworks. But considering the high bar the studio set for animated films, I don't feel every movie needs to be held to the same standard as the studio's best works. By any other standards, The Bad Guys is a lightweight, funny, fluid, sometimes heartfelt, and ultimately fun animated adventures that kids will definitely get into and parents won't feel aggravated with. It's an all around good time for the young and the young at heart. Does it break new ground? No, but it doesn't have to. And I think the 3D also somewhat follows suit. It's not exactly something to rush out for. For 3D enthusiasts, though, The Bad Guys has enough goods to serve as a great addition to their 3D Blu-ray collection. Is it worth fleshing out $40 for? Well, that's up to you. For me, $20-$30 sounds about fair. But personally, I think it might just be worth the purchase just to support 3D Blu-ray and keep it alive long enough for Puss in Boots 2 and Avatar 2 to come out on that format. Time will only tell if that will be the case, though. Until then, if you're on the lookout for some recent 3D flicks to dish out on with ample depth, just enough good pop outs, and all around fun action sequences, The Bad Guys is one that's well worth checking out.
BUY IT HERE
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