The Bad Guys 2: Awkwafina says it’s the 'baddest comedy of the summer' and reveals why the animated sequel is bigger and funnier

Dubai: Everyone’s favorite felons are back—and this time they’re facing some seriously fierce competition. The beloved animated comedy The Bad Guys 2 cranks up the chaos, style, and comedy in a sequel that pits our reformed “good” bad guys against a brand-new crew: The Bad Girls.

Based on Aaron Blabey’s best-selling book series, which has skyrocketed from 8 million to over 30 million copies sold since the release of the first film in 2022, this new action-packed chapter finds the slick animal outlaws genuinely trying to go straight.

But of course, the universe has other plans. Enter a globe-trotting heist, unexpected twists, and three new adversaries who are just as clever and much more dangerous.

At the heart of the chaos is Ms. Tarantula, aka Webs—the fast-typing, faster-talking hacker spider voiced by Awkwafina. With her spindly legs, oversized headphones, and dry humor, Webs is back and ready to cause trouble in all the best ways.

“Tarantula or Webs is kind of the group’s technology genius,” says Awkwafina in an exclusive interview with Gulf News.

“She’s tiny, wears headphones, and is a hacker that helps The Bad Guys infiltrate security systems and stuff like that. She's also the last member of the group to join; so, in that way she's kind of a newbie. And she's the only girl in the group – which I think makes her have to deal with a little bit more than the rest. You know what I mean…”

In three words, she sums her up as: “leggy, tactile, and sardonic.”

“She’s a spider with attitude,” Awkwafina adds. “She’s small but mighty.”

After the huge success of the first film, Awkwafina didn’t think twice when the call came for the sequel.

“Yes, I was so happy to hear we were coming back to do a sequel for a number of reasons,” she says.

“These types of movies take a while to make, and you feel you are a part of a family. A long time had passed since The Bad Guys, and it’s a good feeling when you’re back in the recording booth because you are in a place that you kind of miss.

This cast is so cool, so; I was very excited to work with them again on The Bad Guys 2. It felt like I was reuniting with my family. And the energy is so much more fluid when we are in the same room together, which is not something you are able to do a lot in animation. That was really fun!”

It also meant reuniting with Pierre Perifel, the returning director, and JP Sans, stepping up as co-director this time.

“They’re awesome! Pierre has this kind of insane passion for the story,” Awkwafina says. “He does right by everyone, and he wants the actors to know every word. There is almost a kind of childlike aspect to how he approaches and engages with the characters. He is a lot of fun to work with, and JP was awesome to have in there too. I love going into the recording booth with them. It’s cool.”

So where are our favorite troublemakers now?

“They are trying to go straight, but it’s not working,” she says. “They are unsuccessfully applying to jobs, and it’s tough for them. You can see they miss what they were doing, but they are genuinely trying to be good. The cards are stacked against them, and they are trying to do the best they can with that. Then The Bad Girls – who are pretty intense – appear, and I feel they really give The Bad Guys a run for their money. And there are some twists there that are fun…”

The Bad Girls, for the record, are no joke. They include Kitty Kat (voiced by Danielle Brooks), a dangerously clever snow leopard; Pigtail (Maria Bakalova), a Bulgarian boar with serious engineering skills; and Doom (Natasha Lyonne), a raven who’s a master of deception.

“Things definitely get shaken up when these three arrive,” Awkwafina says with a grin.

This second outing is no mere repeat. Everything about The Bad Guys 2 is larger in scale and sharper in style.

“Yes, the segments are the most sophisticated I have ever seen in terms of their complexity and attention to detail, with amazing animation,” Awkwafina says. “And the size of it all never ceases to surprise me. The Bad Guys 2 has this ability to kind of transverse all these different genres into one animation movie. And in that way it adds something that I didn’t know could exist, which is cool.”

It’s a movie that zips effortlessly from slick heists to laugh-out-loud gags, with a dash of heartfelt themes that resonate across ages.

“The story is about setting your life right, which no one is going to do perfectly at first,” Awkwafina explains.

“Good and bad are kind of interchangeable here, as there are characters that appear to be good that are actually bad, and vice versa. So, acceptance is another important theme.”

“I could see The Bad Guys 2 as a live-action movie with a killer cast. And visually it’s so cool,” says Awkwafina.

“So, I really do think that this is an animated film for the whole family (adults and kids), with themes that anyone can relate to. And it’s just so much fun!”

And for Awkwafina, that’s what sets it apart.

“Yes, there is a sophistication and a kind of sharpness and elegance to everything that is happening here,” she says. “You can see that in Sam Rockwell’s character, Mr. Wolf. And then obviously Craig Robinson, Marc Maron, Anthony Ramos, and the rest of the cast add a ton of comedy. So, it’s different to other animated films.”

When pressed to sum it up? “Sneaky, frisky, and fun.”

Awkwafina has a very specific vision for how to enjoy the film.

“I feel like grabbing all my family and friends – even the ones that don’t want to leave the house – and bring them to a theatre to watch The Bad Guys 2,” she says.

“I would get popcorn, chips, nachos, sodas, and then just live, laugh, and enjoy the screening.”

So, is this the “baddest” comedy of the summer?

“Yes, it is the ‘baddest’ comedy of the summer,” Awkwafina says with a grin. “I mean, we are bad guys, but in a good way.”

The Bad Guys 2 is out in UAE cinemas now