After the first film’s finale, the gang of reformed criminals namely Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Ms. Tarantula, and Mr. Piranha are out of prison and trying things the right way. They apply for normal jobs, hoping to be accepted by society. Wolf is especially inspired by Governor Diane Foxington, who believes they deserve a second chance.
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But trouble comes calling. A mysterious new criminal called the Phantom Bandit begins a spree of masterminded heists. The Bad Guys volunteer (and sometimes are pressed) to help track this bandit down, partly to prove themselves. They suspect Snake at first, because some evidence appears to point in his direction, but he has an alibi involving a romantic interest named Susan.
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Then the plot thickens when The Bad Guys are framed for the Phantom Bandit’s crimes, meaning police and the public again see them as criminals. During a wrestling event (Lucha Libre), Wolf and the team try to expose the bandit, but the twist comes when they are kidnapped by a trio of new villains namely Kitty Kat (a cunning snow leopard, leader), Pigtail (a boar engineer), and Doom (a raven).
The “Bad Girls” use the Bad Guys’ skills now reformed, but still sharp to help with their own grand plan; to steal a super-rocket, called Moon-X, designed by a space agency. The plan is more than theft; it involves using the rocket’s magnetic mechanisms to extract significant amounts of gold (or trigger something globally destabilizing with that gold) for Kitty Kat’s long-game scheme.
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As things escalate, betrayal, double-crosses, and moral conflicts arise. Wolf and the team manage to record Kitty Kat’s confession (which reveals her true identity and intentions), but she turns the tables by uploading damaging footage that threatens Diane’s public reputation. She exposes Diane’s “true identity” live, bringing political and social chaos. Diane is tranquilized at one point, and despite that, she sneaks onboard the rocket while only half-conscious.
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The climax occurs aboard the Moon-X rocket as it’s launched. Kitty uses the rocket’s magnets to attract gold (or via the gold extraction mechanism) from Earth’s orbit. Wolf, realizing the danger, sneaks a flash drive or a device to record and transmit things, pickpockets a key item (Mr. Moon’s smartwatch is part of it), manipulates the magnet controls, and creates a plan to thwart Kitty’s plan. In the final moments, the rocket’s path and function are disrupted so that instead of extracting gold, the mechanism causes the rocket or payload to come crashing down. There’s also a rescue involving Commissioner Misty Luggins and Diane, who help the Bad Guys in unexpected ways.
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With the movie coming to an interesting end, Professor Marmalade (from the first film) features again in prison, with new attitude, tattoos, etc. He’s there more for comic relief and tension than being the central villain this time.
Director: Pierre Perifel (co-directed by JP Sans)
Voice Cast includes Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, plus new voices Danielle Brooks (Kitty Kat), Maria Bakalova (Pigtail), Natasha Lyonne (Doom)
Runtime: 104 minutes
Watch trailer here
