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- The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist Focuses on Friendship and Not Antics
- The Haunted Mansion Is the Key in The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist
As a dedicated fan of animated films and someone who has watched countless hours of children’s specials, I can confidently say that The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist has managed to capture the essence of what made the original movie so charming – the chemistry between the characters and their enduring friendship.
A wolf. A snake. A tarantula, a shark, and a piranha. The grouping of these five animals sounds like the premise for a modern-day folk tale — and well, it is! Produced by Dreamworks Animation Studios in 2022, The Bad Guys transforms these creatures into quick-witted, reckless criminals. Not only was this comedy heist film a box office success (domestically and internationally), but critics liked it as well, applauding its pop culture inspirations and cleverness. With a surprisingly dynamic voice cast bringing the main characters to life — Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, and Anthony Ramos — it’s no surprise that in March of this year, a theatrical sequel was announced. On the other hand, a startling announcement was to be had when Netflix stated that a prequel special about The Bad Guys would be coming to their platform on November 30, 2023.
In roughly a half hour, the animated special titled “The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday” was met with unfavorable responses. Fans of the original series were particularly disheartened, finding it disappointing in terms of both its animation quality and script. However, undeterred by criticism, Dreamworks Animation and Netflix have collaborated once more to produce another holiday-themed special, this time themed around Halloween. Set to premiere on October 3, the second installment titled “The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist” is now available for viewing. Despite sharing the same running time (approximately 24 minutes), it appears that the new directors and writers may have taken fan feedback into account, as “Haunted Heist” has been widely praised as an improvement over “A Very Bad Holiday“. Here’s why:
The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist Focuses on Friendship and Not Antics
Initially, let’s clear up a point. The actors who gave voice to the characters in the 2022 film are not present here, but it’s all good news. Michael Godere, Ezekiel Ajeigbe, Raul Ceballos, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Mallory Low do an excellent job of bringing Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Tarantula to life in this production. After a brief listen, you’ll notice that these voice actors exhibit the same determination as the original cast did on stage. Interestingly enough, these are the same voices you heard in “A Very Bad Holiday,” which suggests that the script, not the cast, may have been the issue with the 2023 Netflix release.
Fans of “The Bad Guys” will be pleased to hear that “The Bad Guys: A Haunted Heist” focuses more on the camaraderie of the gang rather than the exaggerated, humorous stunts seen in “A Very Bad Holiday”. Unlike its predecessor, it doesn’t feature large floats colliding with buildings, mechanical Santa Clauses, or frozen landscapes resembling Mr. Freeze’s attacks. Instead, the initial heist (originally planned on Christmas day) is derailed by numerous unexpected events, making the “criminal” aspect less prominent. In “A Haunted Heist”, Mr. Wolf and his crew are back to their old tricks and concoct a classic heist in a haunted mansion rumored to house an ancient amulet.
The Haunted Mansion Is the Key in The Bad Guys: Haunted Heist
Despite encountering peculiar challenges and hurdles, as this is a children’s special, they all take place within a single setting. Yes, the ramifications of stealing the artifact persist even after Mr. Wolf returns to the safe house, but the narrative neatly wraps up, concluding in the same location it started – the haunted mansion (belonging to the late Reginald E. Scary).
In essence, the holiday setting serves as a backdrop but doesn’t take precedence over the core theme in this special. As in the film, it’s their strong bond that takes center stage. They collaborate to dodge Reginald E. Scary’s traps and engage in friendly pranks throughout the heist. Unfortunately, this heartwarming friendship was overshadowed by the confusing plot twists in “A Very Bad Holiday”.
Regrettably, the distinctive cel-shaded animation style, much like what was used in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, that made The Bad Guys movie stand out, seems to be absent in both A Very Bad Holiday and Haunted Heist. This is an undeniable truth, and those who loved the original have valid reasons to voice their concerns. However, let’s consider shows like Disney’s Aladdin or Nickelodeon’s The Penguins of Madagascar, which saw significant drops in visual quality compared to their big-screen counterparts. Despite these downgrades, they both found great success on television. If The Bad Guys continue to emphasize the same core values that made their initial movie a hit (as evidenced in the latest special), they could have a long and prosperous life on Netflix.
You can stream both “The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Vacation” and “The Bad Guys: Ghostly Caper” on Netflix. If you’re interested in watching the initial 2022 film, Amazon Prime Video offers that option instead.
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2024-10-09 23:01