Tail with a twist
U ★★★ In cinemas now
THE Easter school holidays are upon us and, for many families, a trip to the cinema will involve choosing between talking animated critters. Do you go for the wisecracking blue hedgehog (see below) or Dreamworks’ gang of hairy, scaly bank robbers?
If your kids prefer fart jokes to retro video games, this breezy take on Aaron Blabey’s graphic novels for children should win by a whisker.
The Bad Guys is Ocean’s Eleven for children, with a healthy dollop of Reservoir Dogs thrown in for accompanying adults.
A frenetic opening heist quickly introduces us to the gang. The leader is smooth-talking master pickpocket Wolf (Sam Rockwell expertly channelling George Clooney). His number two is “serpent-een safe-cracking machine” Snake (Marc Macron).
Tarantula (Awkwafina) is the tech wizard (she has a keyboard for every arm), manic Piranha (Anthony Ramos) provides the muscle (and flatulence), and lumbering Shark (Craig Robinson) is an unlikely master of disguise.
After making their escape with a safe full of loot, the Bad Guys attract the attention of Governor Diane (Zazie Beetz), a foxy politician whose boring name may prove deceptive. After she taunts them on the TV news, Wolf decides to up the ante by stealing the “Golden Dolphin” award moments before it’s handed to philanthropist guinea pig Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade) whose plummy English accent is another red flag. Can he really be as squeaky clean as he makes out?
The dialogue could be punchier but there are smart twists, gloriously unhinged action scenes, and a wickedly catchy musical sequence where the gang promise they’re “gonna be good tonight”.
With 15 books in Blabey’s series, let’s hope they change their minds.
It’s Ocean’s 11 for children, with a healthy dollop of Reservoir Dogs for adults