How a heist movie about anthropomorphic animals redefined the DreamWorks animation aesthetic
In short: DreamWorks Animation broke from its traditional look with 2022's The Bad Guys, adopting a stylized, illustrative aesthetic inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This neo-noir crime comedy follows a gang of infamous criminals attempting to reform, blending heist-genre tropes with the frantic energy of classic cartoons and anime.
Directed by Pierre Perifel in his feature debut, The Bad Guys tells the story of Mr. Wolf and his crew—Snake, Webs, Shark, and Piranha—who find themselves caught after a series of brazen robberies. To avoid prison, they strike a deal with Governor Diane Foxington to reform under the mentorship of Professor Rupert Marmalade IV. However, the gang soon discovers that their mentor is orchestrating a complex scheme to frame them for his own crimes, forcing the group to decide whether to embrace their criminal past or pursue a genuine path toward redemption.
The film’s production was a global effort, beginning at DreamWorks' Glendale campus in March 2018. To achieve its unique visual style, the team utilized proprietary software like Premo and Moonray, alongside a new tool called Doodle, which allowed animators to manipulate 2D effects and character lines. The film’s opening diner scene, a direct homage to Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, stands as the longest one-shot in the studio's history, clocking in at two minutes and 25 seconds.
Critically, the film was praised for its clever humor and visual appeal, earning an 88% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Beyond its box office success, grossing $251 million worldwide, the project spawned a media franchise that includes a 2025 sequel and several Netflix-exclusive prequels. By blending the heist-movie sensibilities of the Ocean’s trilogy with the character-driven charm of anime series like Lupin the Third, The Bad Guys successfully carved out a distinct identity in the landscape of modern family entertainment.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Bad Guys (film)
- Also: Wikidata — The Bad Guys · CC0
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