Lessons from The Bad Guys Movie Review, Bad Guys Movie Parent Review, and Bad Guys Movie Vs. Book article written by the Hobbit and the Elf on April 23rd, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch the Bad Guys Movie
Series: Bad Guys
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion: 6+
Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Release Date: April 22, 2022
Where to Watch: Only in theaters; should be streaming in about 45 days
Based on: The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey
Warnings: Some potty type humor – same as similar kid’s shows; mild peril; small jump scares and slightly scary images; mild and mostly comedic violence
Quick The Bad Guys Movie Summary
Based on the Book of the Same Name, The Bad Guys are five likable thieves who are led by Mr. Wolf. They are offered a second chance – if they can become good. The question is – can they, or will they try to pull off the ultimate heist instead? Check out our lessons from The Bad Guys Movie below!
The Bad Guys Movie Parent Review:
**Minor SPOILERS**
The Bad Guys is an animated heist/adventure movie. It follows five “Bad Guys” who are stereotyped as bad – Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Ms. Tarantula (the computer expert), Mr. Shark (master of humorous disguises that should fool no one but do), and Mr. Piranha (the muscle, who emits very noxious farts).
The movie opens with one of their robberies and an extended car chase. The next robbery goes awry, for a number of reasons, but Mr. Wolf convinces Governor Diane Foxington to give them a second chance – if the philanthropist guinea pig Professor Rupert Marmalade IV can turn them to good. But things are not what they seem, and maybe the Bad Guys can become the Good Guys. And there are shout-outs to other movies and characters that are for the adults in the audience, so keep an eye out for those.
Keep reading for lessons from the bad guys movies, discussion questions, and movies vs. book.
-Is The Bad Guys Movie Appropriate for Younger Kids?-
We say family (and hobbit) safe.Generally 6 and over should be OK. There is nothing objectionable – you do have some mildly scary scenes and the potty humor that you generally find in kid’s movies. The only thing I would really consider is if the child is old enough to really understand and talk about the fact that not all good guys are good and not all bad guys are bad.
-Voices Acting/Film Quality-
Some well-known voices (Sam Rockwell as Mr. Wolf; Marc Maron as Mr. Snake; Anthony Ramos as Mr. Piranha; Craig Robinson as Mr. Shark; and Awkwafina as Ms. Tarantula). They all do a fantastic job bringing their characters to life. The animation is well done and the action sequences will make you think of other films – they are very good.
5 Lessons from The Bad Guys Movie
**SPOILERS**
1) People are not All Good Choices or All Bad Choices
Mr. Wolf had made so many bad choices that he was not sure if it was possible to change and make good choices. More than that, would anyone be able to see the good choices, or just the bad? This is such a good thing to discuss with our kids- do we see people as human, or bad/good? How do we know who is safe? How can we be kind to ourselves and our friends when we don’t make good choices but are still trying to be good?
2) Just Because Something Looks Like It’s Good and Helpful Doesn’t Mean That It Is
Professor Marmalade looked like he was an amazing philanthropist and community helper, when really he was very selfish and greedy. People were fooled by his fundraiser, by the moon rock, and by him wanting to help The Bad Guys.
3) You are Not Valuable Because You are Good or Bad- You are Valuable Just As You Are
I just loved the moment that Snakes friends turn around and go back for him. They just knew that they needed to go get their friend even though he had tried to push them away. It’s so important to reiterate to our kids that we all make good and bad decisions, and we love them for them- just as they are.
4) Redemption is Always Possible
Even the most notorious bad guys can do something kind. The concept of change, of redemption, is essential to growth and to faith – and it shows up in lots of books and movies (Note that Mr. Wolf says he likes redemption stories).
5) We All Need Friends and People Who Believe In Us
Diane believes in the possibility of Wolf turning things around. Wolf believed that Snake was meant to be his friend regardless of what happened- but he also believed he could be good.
The Bad Guys Movie Vs. Book
**SPOILERS**
There are differences. The books start with Mr. Wolf deciding to be good. The first few attempts mirror each other (cat in the tree, animals in the factory), but the dynamic is a little different. The characters retain much of themselves from book to movie. Marmalade and Foxington play similar roles in the books, but there are some changes (spoiler – in the books it is Agent Fox and Marmalade is a disguised alien).
The storyline is made to be a little more theatrical. Rather than one bad guy gathering others to be good from the start, it’s a crew of current bad guys. But the stories are similar enough that the changes won’t bother most young readers. Overall, if a kid likes the movie they will like the books – and vice versa.
The Bad Guys Movie Discussion Questions
**SPOILERS**
1) Which one of the characters do you like the best? Why?
2) Everyone believes the five Bad Guys (wolf, shark, snake, tarantula, and piranha) are bad just because of who they are. This is a great place to discuss stereotyping, and for you to check for biases that your kid(s) (and you) may have, and talk about them.
3) Is it hard to just be good sometimes? Why?
4) Do you agree with the movie that people can change? Have you had any people you know change?
5) The five Bad Guys form a close-knit chosen family. Do you have close friends like that? (also a good place to talk about friends not always agreeing but remaining friends).
6) What was the funniest part of the movie?
The Bad Guys Movie Quotes
“‘Come on, what do you have to loose?’ ‘I dunno, my dignity?’ ‘Well that ship has already sailed!'”
“Looks like yet again the big bad wolf got tricked by a little piggy.”
“I’m tired of being scary.”
“I’m very, very un-OK”
“Instead of hurting people I’m helping them”
“Someday your friends, if they’re real friends, they’ll understand.”
“When I woke up this morning, this is not where I saw this going”
“Wait! You stole my car?! Respect!!”
“We stole it fair and square!”
“Maybe we could be more than just scary villains”
“All the crime but none of the exercise”
“I’ve never cared about what’s good- only what’s good for me”
“We felt the wag”
“‘Where’d you learn to do that? ‘Oh, ya know, I’m mostly a natural!… well mostly Youtube'”
Thanks for reading our Lessons from The Bad Guys Movie Post.
Here’s what to check out next.
–The Bad Guys Books 1 and 2 Book Review
–The Bad Guys in Superbad Book Review
–The Bad Guys in Aliens vs. Bad Guys Book Review
–5 Lessons from Sing 2 Movie Review
–Rons Gone Wrong Movie Review
Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and Lessons from The Bad Guys Movie Review uses affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.