Once the masters of crime, the elite group of former thieves formally known as a The Bad Guys find themselves at a crossroads in The Bad Guys 2. The sequel to Pierre Perifel’s 2022 animated caper, this one co-directed by Perifel and JP Sans, finds the newly reformed “Good Guys” struggling to adapt to regular society. Despite their new monikers, most of society, including former police chief-turned-police commissioner Misty Luggins (Alex Borstein), only views them through the lens of their past actions.

Unable to shake off the lingering odour of their previous lives, Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson) aren’t able to smell the roses that come with going straight. Unable to land regular jobs due to their criminal records, the team learns the hard way that one good deed does not always lead to another. The unemployment life is a brutal kick in the pants for Mr. Wolf, who has gone from the flashy sports car lifestyle to the broken-down Datsun of the average Joe. It also does not help matters that the woman of his dreams, and recently appointed governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz), is keeping him in the friend-zone since it would look bad for a politician to be seen dating a former thief.

The irony of course is that Foxington has climbed up the political ladder while concealing her on previous criminal history as the legendary Crimson Paw.

Mr. Wolf and company might have finally boxed up their past lives, but it seems no one is willing to let them put it in storage just yet. A fact that hits home when a new rash of thefts, by the mysterious Phantom Bandit, occur and The Bad Guys once again find themselves as the prime suspects. Believing that capturing the mysterious Phantom Bandit will prove they have turned over a new leaf once and for all, Mr. Wolf and crew quickly find the tables turned when they are the ones who fall into the cunning villain’s traps.

Finding themselves stuck at a metaphorical poker table where the Phantom Bandit aka Kitty Kat (Danielle Brooks) and her accomplices Pigtail (Maria Bakalova) and Susan aka Doom (Natasha Lyonne) hold all the cards; The Bad Guys must choose between pulling off one last job or letting the Bandit expose Foxington’s criminal past to the world.

Playing up several familiar heist film tropes, much like its predecessor, The Bad Guys 2 hits many of same comedic beats that made The Bad Guys a charming hit. While the addition of an all-female crew of thieves presents a more challenging foe than Professor Marmalade IV (Richard Ayoade), who returns in a humorous Hannibal Lector style cameo, one should not expect callbacks to films such as Set It Off or Ocean’s 8.

Understanding that the best heist films are rarely about the theft itself, The Bad Guys 2 feels closer to the Fast & Furious franchise than a traditional caper film. Playing like a clip reel of some of the Fast series best moments—take the elaborate opening heist in Egypt that feels akin to the Dubai sequence in Furious 7—Perifel and Sans use the film as a vessel to transition the skilled crew into becoming globetrotting heroes.

Existing in a world where the laws of physics seem more like a suggestion than an actual rule, the film embraces the outlandish nature of its action sequences and plot. Never taking itself too seriously, and how can you when an elusive metal called MacGuffinite is key to the Bandit’s plans, Perifel and Sans knows the real joy is observing the general dynamics of the team. Managing to make everything from nervous ticks to flatulence jokes work within the context of the film, one cannot help but smile watching the antics that Mr. Wolf and his team get into.

As enjoyable as it is to see them try and untangle themselves from the latest mess they get into, the one knock on the franchise is it never resonates as deeply as it could. Sure, there is messaging about never giving up in the times where change can feel hopeless, but those moments feel fleeting at best. Never letting the viewer sit with the difficulties that come with attempting to break free of the past, or even how we tend to inadvertently put others in boxes we refuse to let them out of, the film opts for quick gags that disrupt any hint of emotion.

While one does not go into a film like this and expect something on par with Flow or Inside Out, Perifel and Sans could have put more faith in their young viewers to handle a bit more substance in their meal.

By no means a deep work, The Bad Guys 2 is a solid sequel that delivers more of the same humour and action that made its predecessor a hit. Mr. Wolf and crew may no longer be bad in the traditional sense, but they still know how to have fun bending the rules.

The Bad Guys 2 hits theatres August 1.