^{Credit: The Bad Guys 2 (DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures)} 

The Bad Guys fit the mold of the villains gone good subgenre that Despicable Me and, to a lesser extent, Megamind popularized a decade and a half ago. In The Bad Guys 2, we see that going legit isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. In the previous film, our main characters saved the world from an evil guinea pig. Even after doing their time, the Bad Guys are still seen as… well, bad guys. They try reintegrating as honest civilians, but nobody wants to hire them. They paid back their debt to society and then some. As the old saying goes, though, once a con, always a con.

The Bad Guys 2 might be an over-the-top comedy, but if you read between the lines, there is a real-world parallel to how reformed criminals are treated on the outside. Okay, it isn’t The Shawshank Redemption, Blindspotting, or I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang. Yet, the film is a reminder that ex-cons are people too… even if the protagonists here are animals. How can we expect them to go good if we don’t even give them a chance? That said, it’s understandable why a bank wouldn’t want Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell) working there, especially since he previously robbed it.

Rockwell shines in this role, making it hard for the audience to separate his voice from the slick character design. The rest of the team, Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina), and Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), are also back. So is Governor Diane Foxington (Zazie Beetz), who maintains her flirtatious dynamic with Mr. Wolf. Despite connections with the government and chief turned commissioner (Alex Borstein), the Bad Guys find themselves in the unemployment line. When a group of Bad Girls (Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Maria Bakalova) force them out of retirement, the Bad Guys reluctantly sign up for one last job. Since being bad is what they’re best at, though, one more job might not be enough.

The plot may border on familiar territory. The space-centric climax, in particular, is reminiscent of the moon heist from Despicable Me, which this franchise already had a few connections to. While there is a formula, The Bad Guys 2 doesn’t come off as formulaic. The same can be said of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy, the clear blueprint for this series. Sometimes, it’s just satisfying watching cool characters do their thing, pulling off capers in this case. What separates The Bad Guys from the Ocean’s films is the advantage of being animated. Rather than just having a fleet of police officers pursue our heroes, it turns into a tidal wave, nearly washing them away. DreamWorks may be getting in on the live-action remake game, but The Bad Guys and its sequel belong in the animation medium.

As far as DreamWorks’ recent efforts go, The Bad Guys movies might lack the poignancy of The Wild Robot or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Not every film needs to make the audience rethink their life, however. The Bad Guys 2 hits its mark with fast-paced comedy and sun-soaked action set pieces. Director Pierre Perifel once again ties it all together with a sharp sense of style. There’s commentary to be found amid the escapism, as well. The Bad Guys 2 won’t change the way we look at those with a record. For anyone who has ever gone from the joint to a job interview, though, Mr. Wolf’s struggles will speak to you.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!