Tag: crime caper

RELAY – Review

Ah, now here’s a real “under the radar” gem. Usually, the quirky modern-day ‘B” pictures are dropped into the multiplex in late Winter or mid-Fall. So, we’re almost past the Summer blockbuster season, the studio “wise men” (two words not often next to each other) are arriving well in advance of the December holidays with a gift for us. This one’s full of razzle-dazzle tech twists and intricate machinations, mixing in elements of crowd pleasers like THE EQLUAIZER (movie series and TV shows), THE STING, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, with a sprinkling from the IMF team for a spicy kick. There are no big action set pieces, but there is plenty of tension when you dive into the wild world of RELAY.


Much as with a Bond flick or Indiana Jones, we’re dropped into the conclusion of a recent “operation” involving the lead character in the film’s opening moments. It seems that everything’s gone according to plan as he observes a rich CEO getting his “just desserts” while his former employee vanishes into the night. We’re then whisked away to the start of another case. A jittery young woman cautiously enters the towering home of an NYC law firm. Sarah Grant (Lily James) was a top researcher/scientist at a major “bio-agricultural” company. She sounded the alarm about a new “insect-resistant” wheat that has the possibility of dangerous, even deadly side effects. The company fired her and insisted she turn over all the research. Sarah left with the files, but is having “second thoughts”. She’s being harassed and threatened, spurring a desire to return the docs rather than “blow the whistle”. Now she fears that her old bosses will “tie up loose ends”.The lawyer who hears her declines to take her as a client. Instead, he scribbles down the number of a person who acts as an “intermediary” to broker the “info exchange”. When she calls the number, she speaks to a rep at the Interstate Relay Service, a company that translates phone calls for the hearing impaired. The messages are not recorded, nor are they kept on file. Typing in at another location is the “barterer,” who we later learn is named Ash (Riz Ahmed). They establish an ID “passcode phrase” (“Cash or credit?” “Check”) and he gives her strict instructions (do it right or I’ll walk away) on how to get the files to him, along with payment, and who to contact at her old job. He keeps a copy of the files forever in a secret safe and makes copies to send to the feds and media in case the company goes after her. But first, she’s got to move to a much safer place, namely an incredibly secure high-rise apartment building. Somehow her move leaks out, and a dark van is parked across the street. Inside is a well-armed “cleaner squad” headed by a man going by “Dawson” (Sam Worthington), who gets her client’s Relay calls from Ash. Will things go according to his elaborate plan? And what happens when the exchanges between Ash and Saeah take a more intimate turn?

In referring to this as a modern “B” movie, I didn’t wish to imply that the stellar cast is anything other than “A+”, particularly the two main leads. First, there is the interesting and intense Ahmed, who has been so great in supporting roles (NIGHTCRAWLER) and terrific as the main focus (acting students will study his work in SOUND OF METAL). For a moment, I thought he was following up on that film due to Ash’s use of the relay service, but it’s a way to avoid making a personal connection. Through those immersive dark eyes will look into the soul of an emotionally wounded, haunted man who must stay in control at all times. This quality doesn’t help him away from work as he sits silently at AA meetings. Ahmed wants to become invisible as he flits from one shadow to the next. But then someone flips the light switch, and we see his defensive cocoon slowly begin to crack. Taking a hammer to it is the ethereal charisma of Ms. James, who lets us see, in her vocal delivery and body language, Sarah go from vulnerable victim to staunch champion of her own destiny. She’s overwhelmed by dealing with the rapid, specific details from Ash, though soon she’s bobbing and weaving like a trenchcoated spy. Their engaging chemistry has us rooting for them to connect beyond the “case”. That’s complicated due to the dead-eyed killers headed by the gravel-voiced Worthington. Every line is spat out like venom, though we can get a glimmer of his reserved respect for his worthy opponent’s intellect. However, he lets us know that he’ll bash in that skull housing that brain, if he gets a chance. I should mention his also intimidating “second-in-command” Rosetti played by the captivating Willa Fitzgerald (who burnt up the screen last year in the fantastic STRANGE DARLING), who is both slinky and sinister as she pursues both Sarah and Ash.

As for the filmmaker who keeps “all the plates spinning”, here’s a big “Welcome back to the big screen” for David Mackenzie, whose last theatrical feature (aside from the Netflix showcase OUTLAW KING) was another engaging thriller, 2016’s HELL OR HIGH WATER. Working from an endlessly clever script from Justin Piasecki (no surprise that it was on the 2019 “Blacklist” of most-liked unproduced screenplays), Mackenzie almost turns the Big Apple into another character, as every street lamp or crowded walkway could lead to a fatal showdown. We’re guided to familiar locales made mysterious with bystanders giving the “stink eye” before possibly lashing out at Sarah or Ash, or maybe walking past. And even though they’re kept apart, Mackenzie and Piasecki convey the longing and yearning for contact that’s denied. Somehow, they make the relay service jargon somewhat “steamy” (at the end of every reply, rather than “stop” in telegrams, they say “go ahead”). I can’t give away too many details of Ash’s “playbook”, I will say that he uses state-of-the-art tech (lots of “burner phones” while making considerable use of the much maligned under-appreciated USPS. Yes, I’m talking about the post office, as Ash gets their tracking numbers, while dropping some unique postal trivia (when this film was shot, there were active post office service centers inside the gate area of a few major airports). As I mentioned, there aren’t elaborate stunt sequences, but many of the near-misses and “drops” will have you on the edge of your seat. That’s before you fall off of it during the stunning, whiplash-inducing finale reveal. There’s been little fanfare about this engaging entertainment (so many talk shows are taking early Labor Day breaks), so I hope that word will spread on this original film that takes its inspiration from so many classic thrillers (could Ash be a 21st-century spin on the Scarlet Pimpernel). Moviegoers will be well rewarded for their effort (it may be tough to locate at the multiplex) and time (clocking in at under two hours) with the cinematic and storytelling delights of RELAY.

3.5 Out of 4

RELAY is now playing in select theatres

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA – Review

Just ten days into the new year and it appears that the studios are trying to create a new action thriller franchise. Technically it really began in 2018 with a flick that attempted to combine a heist caper plot with a police procedural led by a detective that’s not exactly squeaky clean. It did modest business (some might say barely a box office “ripple”), so this sequel is more than unexpected (“outta’ nowhere” is more like it). But since the big Summer blockbuster season feels light years away, especially with the weather’s artic plunge, those fans of tough guys with big guns driving fast cars need an adrenaline “fix”. And if they “check their brains” at the concession counter, then they may get the needed “rush” from DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA.


Whoa, in the opening moments, we’re thrust right into a big “heist” involving computer hacking, a phony flight attendant, pilfered jewels, and a hijacked armored vehicle. Hey, it sounds similar to that big crime seven years ago. Well, that was in the US rather than a busy foreign international airport, though there is one familiar face. Barking commands in French is that criminal mastermind Donnie Wilson (Oshea Jackson, Jr.). Luckily, his old nemesis back in the States gets wind of it through his stripper snitch Holly (Meadow Williams). LA County Sheriff’s Department Detective Nick “Big Nike” O’Brien (Gerard Butler) needs a new case to occupy his time having just endured a really nasty divorce. After pulling a few strings with the feds, Nick’s on his way across the pond to a quaint, quiet Marseilles, which has an elite, and very protected jewelry exchange district. This is where Donnie and his crew have settled in. He uses gems from that airport heist to open a space in one of the office buildings, aided by the proper “intro” from the gang’s “femme fatale” Jovanna (Evin Ahmad). It seems those heist jewels were bait in order to break into the big vault in that exclusive district. Ah, but Donnie’s plans shift with the unexpected arrival of Nick. Hold up, this cop wants “in” on the score. Has he really gone rogue, or is Nick truly under deep, deep “cover”? Donnie’s got to take a chance, otherwise his crew will turn on him (some already are planning that). But Nick is in contact with the local cops, who tell him that the armored heist has made them a target of the feared Panther mafia, who want to retrieve a revered family stone that was part of the theft. Will these new “players” botch the job, or will Nick work with Donnie and disavow his cop career and turn his back on the “badge”?

Butler easily shifts back into swaggering “bro” mode as “big Nick”, though this new plot throws a few curves his way. Mainly in his new ‘stomping grounds” far away from “La La” Land. This allows Butler to display his comedic chops as the burly, coarse cop being the loud, violent “fish out of water” in the cultured climes of Marseilles. And he’s got to “clean up his act” considerably and adjust his “fashion sense” in order to glide in and out of the “diamond fortress”. To do so, he must follow the lead of Donnie, played with smooth and silky confidence by the charismatic Jackson, who’s quite believable as the crew’s “point man”. Despite their past conflicts, Donnie and Nick become a slick team shifting into a duo capable of this complex game of deception and duplicity. Complimenting them is the sultry Ahmad whose fashion-model looks and poise distract. allowing her to use her keen intellect in easily accessing and evading the tight (much like her attire) security measures in place.

Also returning for this follow-up is writer/director Christian Gudegast, who attempts to tweak the story structure of the original with the exotic European locales. and the ambiguity of Nick’s motivations as we wonder if he has embraced the “outlaw’ life. Unfortunately, the obstacle more daunting than the hallway camera and the countless guards scanning the multiple monitors is the languid pacing that makes its 144 runtime (c’mon, really) feel like a round trip to France…in coach. The flick has far too many scenes of the guys trying to out “macho” each other at various bars and bistros, including a disco packed to the gills with supermodels in tight shiny gowns (of course, a big brawl occurs). Plus there are endless “prep” bits (the crew clashes over the music choices) that wear us down before the big “break-in”, which includes every possible “crime caper” cliche. It feels like a retread of heist ” challenges” done with more style and suspense in the OCEANS and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchises (they must climb up a long metal hook between buildings, so we’re waiting for the eventual “slip”). And as with most action flicks, we get multiple endings to allow for double and “triple crosses”. All this is in service to a sequel that nobody was demanding other than investors of the forgettable 2018 original. Hopefully, all of this tiresome “mach-man” preening will be shelved after the chaotic cinema crimes of DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA.

1/2 Out of 4

DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, January 10. 2025

ABIGAIL – Review

An old saying goes that “You can’t keep a good man down”. Well, despite the meager box office returns for last year’s big Dracula flicks, RENFIELD, and THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, this weekend’s new monster movie believes that “You can’t keep a good vampire down”. Really, they just keep popping up, just check out those Christopher Lee Hammer Film classics (seriously, they’re loads of frightful fun). Ha, “down for the Count”…and enough of the “groaners”. Although this new flick’s working title was “Dracula’s Daughter”, this chiller isn’t officially connected to the Bram Stoker creation. For one thing, it’s set in today’s world, so a speedy beaten van replaces the horse-drawn carriages. Oh, and it’s got elements of a crime thriller. This tale concerns a “snatch and grab” crew who get more than they bargained for when their target is ABIGAIL.

The film’s opening moments introduce us to the title character (Alisha Weir), a preteen lass indulging in her passion for dance as she performs “Swan Lake” in an empty theatre. Ah, it turns out that someone else aside from the family driver is waiting for her to head home. Six black-clad adults in an old commercial van follow her towncar through the night, past the city, and into her gated mansion. As one of the crew hacks into the estate’s security system, a trio swiftly moves in. Young Abigail believes she’s safe in her bedroom, until the invaders burst in, and one injects her with a powerful tranquilizer. She’s placed in a large duffel bag, and the trio sprints back to the van just as another vehicle with Abigail’s father shows up. The van speeds away, far out into the country, and pulls up to another gated mansion, although this one has seen better days. They’re greeted in the library by the mastermind who has put them together for the “job”, the suave Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito). He explains that they will hide out there with Abigail for 24 hours until the ransom is met (plenty of food and drink are provided along with beds). He insists that they don’t reveal their own names, deciding to bestow “code monikers”. The surly leader is “Frank” (Dan Stevens). The slightly baked driver is “Dean” (Angus Cloud). “Sammy” (Kathryn Newton) is the loopy punk-rock “hacker”. The boozy “muscle” is “Peter” (Kevin Durand). “Rickles” (as in the the insult comic king, ya’ hockey puck) is an ex-military sniper (William Catlett). And the “druggist” who put Abigail to sleep is “Joey” (Melissa Barrera), who will be the one to check on her, though Joey will be masked. Lambert departs, as most of the gang hits the bar. Joey forms a bond with the now fully awake Abigail, though the the little girl makes an odd icy threat while putting out a creepy “vibe”. This alarms Frank who visits their prey and is more rattled when she reveals the identity of her powerful papa. He tells the crew they need to split just as steel plates slide over the windows and barred gates appear over the doors with a loud “clang”. Could the kidnapping have been an elaborate “set-up” to trap them? Then panic engulfs the criminals as something lurking in the shadows begins to strike…

Though she’s not the title character, the story’s main focus is the conflicted, tragic ex-combat medic played by the soulful Barrera. We find out some of her motives in taking the “one last crime gig”, which are also the reason Joey forms an intense almost immediate bond with Abigail. Barrera’s both tender and very tough as she clashes with her cohorts when they try to “lean on the kid”. Speaking of, the ads have let the “cat” (or is it bat) out of the “bag” on the “tiny dancer” (the crew’s codename for her). Weir switches from sweet innocence to murderous menace at the flutter of her tutu. Her dance moves turn “death stalk” remind us of the pre-murder “mamba” of “last year’s demon doll” M3GAN. And somehow Weir conveys that longing well after she reveals her true form. Much like Stevens who is the all too human monster in the story, a bullying blowhard who’s always looking out for “#1”.He’s engaging even as he sounds as though he stepped out of a late 40s noir crime caper. Stevens appears to be having almost as much fun as Newton whose Sammy almost becomes the audience surrogate as she is quick to bolt when things go too weird. Her funky free spirit lightens things considerably. Newton gets almost as many laughs as Durand’s Peter, the confused lunkhead who’s not used to responding with his brain rather than his fists, which are usually clutching a bottle. Catlett is more of a mystery as the tightly-wound triggerman, while Esposito is a terrific sarcastic snob as the effete master planner Lambert. However, the film’s real breakout star may tragically be Cloud as the hustling streetwise getaway man, who passed shortly after wrapping his role.

After jumpstarting the SCREAM franchise with the last two entries, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett try to put a new spin on the old bloodsucker on the loose in a haunted house genre but mixing in a criminal team much like those bickering, but still cool RESERVOIR DOGS, and assorted other “heist” flicks. And it does indeed inject some fresh blood into the genre, while also exploring the idea of an immortal killing machine trapped forever in a child’s body that was a big part of NEAR DARK and INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Plus the filmmakers surprise us with the amount of humor generously sprinkled in (something that many newer terror tales lack). The gang can’t quite accept the supernatural, then try to recall the “rules” from pop culture (how to kill them, powers, etc.). And this movie’s take on the classic monster is interesting, especially in the look of the vamps, eschewing the twin fangs and opting for a row of jagged choppers that shred throats. Unfortunately, this becomes part of the problem with the flick, as the settings and characters are constantly drenched in the sticky crimson fluid. I kept thinking about the actors rushing to the showers after they wrapped for what must have been a looong day. This indulgence adds to the unneeded length of the film, as characters engage in double and triple-crosses when not tossing each other in the walls and antique furnishings (we get that vampires are strong…move on). And the action doesn’t even adhere to the “new rules” they have for the undead. Perhaps the plot is spinning its wheels to establish the time passage from the wee hours to dawn and back to dusk again. It’s a shame since there are lots of original flourishes on vamp lore, though the finale result isn’t nearly as engaging and graceful as the dance moves of that bloody ballerina ABIGAIL.

2.5 Out of 4

ABIGAIL is now playing in theatres everywhere

SHARPER – Review

With this film’s release so close to the big “hearts and flowers” holiday, you might think that it’s a modern twist on the old romantic stories of boy meets girl. And you’d be mistaken, except for the “twist” angle. Yes, it does begin with a “meet cute”, but soon the filmmakers take us down a road of deception and devious designs, full of, yes, twists and turns. Now it’s not another thriller built on that cybercrime of “catfishing” as in the very recent MISSING. This tale owes much more to the previous “con capers” like THE STING, BODY HEAT, and, naturally THE GRIFTERS. Ah, but these “players” are aiming for much larger stakes as they go after their NYC high-society “marks”. That’s why they have to aspire to be SHARPER.

Oh, as I mentioned this story takes place in Manhattan and opens on a quaint dusty used book store in one of the quiet upscale neighborhoods. And the literary theme is used with the film being divided into four chapters, each title after a character in this quadrangle. The first is the owner/manager of the shop, a quiet twenty-something named Tom (Justice Smith). His dull afternoon next to the register is ended by the arrival of a lovely college student named Sandra (Briana Middleton). Their conversation leads to his clumsy invitation to dinner and leads to a whirlwind romance that ends in tragedy and heartbreak. In the next chapter named for her, we look into Sandra’s past and her life-changing encounter with the enigmatic “groomer” named Max (Sebastian Stan). This leads to his chapter that gives us an insight into his complex relationship with his social-climbing mother Madeline (Julianne Moore), who has become the fiancee of a Fifth Avenue financial tycoon named Richard Hobbes (John Lithgow). With her chapter, the dots are “connected”, the story comes “full circle”, and the quartet wrestles for control and makes a grab for the “big brass ring”.


With this type of film, it’s tough to get into the actor’s performances without revealing too much of their characters’ secrets (the whole plot peels back the layers). However, I can attest that the talented, always interesting Ms. Moore adds another complex role to her impressive screen resume. Madeline is more than the tortured matriarch as she tries to correct her past while forging ahead toward a lush future. That past, embodied by Stan’s Max, is dark and full of potential danger as Stan projects an air of edgy laid-back cool aloofness punctuated by a snarling intensity. At the opposite end is Smith as the quiet, reflective Tom who’s been beaten down by life but sees this new love as a chance to start over on the road to happiness. As his shining beacon, Middleton dazzles as Sandra whose own dark past threatens to doom this new love as she tries to bury those demons. In a smaller supporting role, Lithgow projects the proper gravitas as the man of “old money” who knows that some “class -climbers’ see a golden target on his back.

The tale’s many curves and turns are expertly guided by director Benjamin Caron in his feature film directing debut. He confidently keeps the drastic time shifts on track in the taut screenplay from Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, which keeps us guessing and baffled till the final fade out (and at just under two hours). The Big Apple locations are superb, from the plush million-dollar-plus “cribs” to the cluttered Queen apartments and the neighborhood “dive bars”. And they’re lit with the story’s emotional shifts in mind. This is the cinematic equivalent to a good “page-turner”, something to devour on a rainy afternoon. As far as most dramatic thrillers go, I’d say that this is much, much SHARPER.

3.5 Out of 4

SHARPER opens at the Alamo Drafthouse in St. Louis and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning on Friday, February 17, 2023

CONFESS, FLETCH – Review

Yes, it’s a bit late for a flick based on a “beach book’ (usually a paperback you’d read while getting your tan near the water’s edge), so how about something more suited to Autumn, perhaps a movie based on a mystery one would read while enjoying a warm beverage next to a fireplace? Oh, I forgot to mention that this particular film is part of a literary series featuring a much-beloved sleuth. Now, we just had a visit from Hercule Poirot a few months ago, so his mustache is “in mothballs” for the moment. Anyway, this character is not known as a detective or a “consultant” (like the fellow at 221B Baker Str.). The title “hero” of this tale is an investigative reporter, or at least he was (he’s telling everyone that he’s “retired”). And he’s been absent from the screen for 33 years now. Oh, there are police detectives aplenty as this “man of leisure” gets involved with art heists, forgery, kidnapping, and murder. And, of course, the cops are imploring him to CONFESS, FLETCH.

It all starts (maybe “kicks into high gear”) on a warm Boston evening. In a “high-end” urban neighborhood Irwin Maurice “Fletch” Fletcher (Jon Hamm) unlocks the front door of the rental home where he’ll be staying during his latest “research trip”. In the lobby is a welcome note under a wine bottle. And several feet away from that is the lifeless body of a twenty-something blonde woman. Fletch calls the police (the general number, not 9-11), and soon opens his door to the homicide squad led by Detective “slo-mo” Monroe (Roy Wood Jr.) and his aide, Detective Griz (Ayden Mayeri). During questioning, Fletch explains how this “west-coater” came to be there…via Italy. He insists that he’s “retired” from Investigative journalism, but a hefty”retainer” prompted him to fly to Venice to meet with an heiress named Angela AKA “Andy” (Lorenza Izzo), who’s looking to locate several very pricey paintings from her father’s collection. Andy suspects that her snooty stepmother, who insists on being called “The Countess” (Marcia Gay Harden), had a gloved, jeweled hand in it. To complicate things further, Andy’s pop, the Count, has been kidnapped. The ransom: a multi-million dollar original Picasso. The pot is “sweetened” for Fletch when he begins an affair with Andy leading to their engagement. But he leaves her for “Beantown” where all leads point to an established art dealer, and EDM fan (Kyle MacLachlan). The police release Fletch as a “person of interest”, so he’s got to “shake them” to find the art and the reason why somebody would “set him up” on a murder charge. Over the next few days, Fletch, using several aliases, discovers several suspects including the rental home’s owner Owen (John Behlmann), his soon-to-be-ex-wife (Lucy Punch), and their spacy hippie neighbor Eve (Annie Mumolo) while dodging Monroe and Griz. But what happens when his new fiancee is added to that roster? Can Fletch’s former boss, newspaper editor Frank (John Slattery) point him toward the real “perps” before the “frame sticks”?


The role of the “snarky sleuth” feels like a near-perfect fit for Hamm as he tries to go from an iconic TV role (Don Draper) into leading man roles in feature films (he scored recently with his supporting role in TOP GUN: MAVERICK). While he makes good use of his “matinee idol” looks (we don’t question the quick pairing with Andy), Hamm finally gets a chance to showcase his superb comic skills that we’ve seen on TV (great hosting gigs on SNL, and a recurring role on “30 Rock”). And whether tossing off an effortless one-liner or a blistering “burn”, or going “all in” as a zany phony expert, Hamm puts his distinctive mark on the beloved “righteous rascal”. He may be at his “best” when verbally sparring with Wood as the laconic Monroe, whose “laid-back” style lulls many into letting their guards down. Fletch may think that he can charm his way around him, but Wood can “throw down” with him when needed. Though he flummoxes his co-workers, particularly the often exasperated Griz, played with a perfect “slow burn” by Mayeri. And it’s great to see Hamm back with his old “Mad Men” co-star Slattery as they share a warm rapport as two pals who know each other’s “MO”. Much as in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, Izzo is a stunning Italian femme fatale, who pushes Fletch until he needs to push back. Screen vets Hardin, MacLachlan, Punch, and Mumolo also score big laughs as the loopy “red herrings”. Or are they?

So, after countless attempts to bring the character back to the big screen (from Jason Lee to Zach Braff to Joshua Jackson, among others), director/co-screenwriter Greg Mottola (who adapted Gregory McDonald’s 1976 novel with Zev Borow) is the one to “reboot’ (and maybe “revamp”) the wiseacre sleuth. So, can he move out of the shadow of Chevy Chase’s late 1980s efforts? Yes, I’d say that it strives to be “its own animal” and largely succeeds thanks to Hamm (who was part of Mottola’s last film KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES). and his supporting ensemble. Unfortunately, the new entry has the same problems as its legacy in that the central mystery is, well, almost as stale as Colombo’s cigars. Twists and turns, along with double and triple crosses are tossed in with some “floating” a long, long time before their “payback”. But, like the earlier mentioned Poirot movies, are you that concerned over “pinched” paintings, although the murder “set up” gives it a bit of much-needed urgency (and yet, there’s still that “lull” around the one-hour mark). Nope, this is merely an excuse for our hero to pelt the dense and pompous with insults and try and bluff his way out when a ruse starts to crack. So is this the start of a new movie franchise? Well, probably not though it would be an entertaining occasional cable or streaming feature. So, unless you’re a diehard Chase devotee, you’ll chuckle many times as those in charge try to compel IMF to CONFESS, FLETCH.

3 Out of 4

CONFESS, FLETCH is now playing in select theatres and is streaming as a video-on-demand via most services.

THE BAD GUYS (2022) – Review

THE BAD GUYS

As Spring slowly arrives (really, April snow), the multiplex makes way for a new family-friendly animated feature film (and contrary to what the Academy said, that medium can tackle the more mature subject matter, like FLEE). Now, this one’s got an interesting twist, a “spin” on a firmly established trope of the “cartoon conflict’. Well, it’s not a “skewed’ satiric fairy tale or fable but rather goes further back, before the features, to those “much-missed” theatrical shorts. Very often they dealt with a chase, usually a pursuit with a predator animal trying to capture its (not so defenseless) prey. In the world of Looney Tunes, Sylvester is after Tweety while the Coyote was always several steps behind that Roadrunner. But what about shifting the focus from the “heroes” to the “villains”, to a team of “nogoodniks” who somehow want to change? Or do they? Can they really “flip” their “nature” or must they remain THE BAD GUYS?


This “cartoon caper” begins with a casual diner conversation between the gang’s leader, Wolf (voice of Sam Rockwell), and his “second in command” and BFF Snake (Marc Maron). After exiting the “greasy spoon”, the duo begins a “bank heist’ with the help of the rest of the “crew”: computer-hacking whiz Tarantula (Awkwafina), master of disguise Shark (Craig Robinson), and the tiny but powerful Piranha (Anthony Ramos). After barely escaping capture by their arch-nemesis, Police Chief Luggins (Alex Borstein), the gang return to their secret lair and begin to plan their next “job”. A TV news report informs them that the valuable Golden Dolphin award for Samaritan of the Year will be presented to Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) at a “fancy-schmancy” museum event. For Wolf, the “icing on the cake” is that the award will be given by newly elected Governor Foxington (Zazie Beetz). The gang complains that many criminals have failed to nab the Dolphin, but Wolf insists that this will be their greatest “score”. Of course, the plan doesn’t quite go smoothly, as Wolf helps a much-older matron who nearly trips down a staircase. He has an odd sensation, a twinge of euphoria inside sparked by doing good and causing his tail to wag. This helps lead to the gang’s capture, but security footage of Wolf’s selfless act inspires the Prof to plead for the gang, insisting that he can change their ways and do a better job of reforming them than any prison. Can the “bad guys” go good or is this just part of a bigger scheme? And what about that spark between Wolf and the Guv?

Dreamworks Animation theatrical features have been “hit and miss” of late, often releasing uninspired sequels (the last SPIRIT horse-flick was true horse…y’know) and tepid original ideas, but put this effort in the plus category. This may be due to the source material, a popular series of children’s books by Aaron Blabey, adapted with playful glee by screenwriters Etan Cohen and Yonni Brenner who have included several nods to the old “let’s steal something in the most intricate way possible” movies. The familiar setting of the first scene gives us a “head’s up’ as they recreate the eatery from the “bookends” of PULP FICTION. The other plus is the inspired direction of first-time feature director Pierre Perifel who balances the engaging character interchanges with action sequences that take a welcome satiric swing at the excesses of many blockbusters (consider this a “palette cleanser” to the insufferable AMBULANCE). Cameras swoop above and around the speeding vehicles before slowing down for us to appreciate a subtle visual “nugget”, then “revving up’ for some bit of F&F gravity-defying nonsense. Happily the flick also employs some really inspired, funny character designs, “filling-out” Blabey’s comic-strip imagery, while not going overboard on the “too busy” detailing of many CGI renderings, though I did enjoy the darkened lines about the eyes and lips which bring out the expressions. Now, this is a bit of a human/animal mix, unlike say ZOOTOPIA or the KUNG FU PANDA series, humans interact with the critters on the same level, much like Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny, so there’s the “fur-less folk” who are every bit as exaggerated but seem to owe much to the “anime” wide-eyed and “open-mouth” tropes we’re seeing more frequently, from LUCA to TURNING RED. Perhaps this is done to make the animals “stand out” a bit more, though I wish the Police Chief and her crew looked as appealing. What does work is the use of this terrific vocal cast led by Rockwell who is pure laid-back “Clooney cool” as Wolf while Maron conveys a different side to his wiseguy stand-up comic (and podcaster) persona as the irritable, curmudgeonly Snake (thinking his “bucket hat” is a nod to Carl Reiner in the OCEANS trilogy) . Oh,, and extra kudos to the artisans who have recreated the sun-drenched LA streets that are a backdrop to the frenetic mayhem. With so much to offer in the way of animated entertainment, audiences of any age should have fun spending a good 100 minutes with THE BAD GUYS.

3 out of 4

THE BAD GUYS opens in theaters everywhere on April 22, 2022