When The Bad Guys debuted in 2022, it wasn’t just another animated caper—it was part of a growing wave that rejected the photo-realism dominating mainstream American animation. With its bold shading, comic-inspired textures, and exaggerated designs, it stood proudly in the wake of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), the film that redefined what animated blockbusters could look like. Now, director Pierre Perifel returns with The Bad Guys 2, taking that same rebellious spirit further—and showing just how far the industry has come in embracing stylized storytelling.
Building on a New Visual Legacy
Talking with Polygon, Perifel explained that the visual fight he faced in 2022—battling computer systems geared for realistic rendering—has eased in 2025. “A lot less than for the first one,” he said. The tools may still lean toward physical accuracy, but DreamWorks has evolved. Since the original Bad Guys, the studio has pushed out other stylized projects like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Wild Robot, each one piggybacking on the innovations pioneered in the first film.
More importantly, the human element is catching up. “They’re getting more and more used to stylization, to bringing 2D inspiration into our CG looks,” Perifel noted. Animators at DreamWorks have adapted to this new norm, growing more confident in bending the rules of CG to meet expressive, artistic goals.
A Collaborative—and Stylized—Production
While the first film was a solo DreamWorks production, The Bad Guys 2 handed off about 20 minutes of its 104-minute runtime to Sony Pictures Imageworks. The collaboration aimed to manage production costs without compromising the signature visual style. Fortunately, Sony was no stranger to stylized animation—its recent work on K-Pop Demon Hunters demonstrated its own embrace of unconventional looks.
Matching styles across studios can be a logistical hurdle, but Perifel praised the synergy: “Thankfully, Sony Imageworks is very used to doing stylized work as well, so they caught up rather quickly.” The transition was smooth enough that the sequel was able to push even further with experimental design: fatter character models, more painterly matte paintings, and an increased blend of hand-drawn 2D effects laid over the CG base—hallmarks of a studio now fluent in its own visual language.
Embracing the Cinematic: Anamorphic Aesthetics
One of the most technically intriguing evolutions in The Bad Guys 2 is its use of anamorphic lens simulation—a tool traditionally reserved for live-action films. “There is no use for an anamorphic lens in a digital environment,” Perifel admits, but that didn’t stop the team from digitally recreating its look. The result is a cinematic sheen: light flares, curved edges, and a wider aspect ratio that makes the film feel like a Hollywood action thriller.
That’s no coincidence. Perifel and co-director JP Sans took direct inspiration from the likes of James Bond, Mission: Impossible, Gravity, and Interstellar to give the film a sweeping, high-stakes sensibility. “Even on the first one, [we were] bringing in massive live-action influences,” Perifel said, referencing Ocean’s 11 and Snatch for their slick heist energy. This time, though, the focus is firmly on blockbuster action—and the visual presentation matches.
Animation’s Next Chapter Is Bold and Graphic
The Bad Guys 2 is more than a sequel. It’s part of a movement—an affirmation that stylized animation isn’t just a trend, but a viable artistic frontier. From painterly backdrops to layered 2D effects, the film embodies a creative freedom that was once rare in mainstream American animation.
That freedom didn’t come easy. It required both technological adaptation and a cultural shift within studios. But as The Bad Guys 2 proves, the payoff is clear: audiences get an animated film that’s not only visually striking but crafted with the same cinematic ambition as a live-action blockbuster.
In an era when audiences crave distinct visual identities and fresh approaches to storytelling, The Bad Guys 2 positions itself—and DreamWorks—as leaders in animation’s evolving future.
