History YMMV / TheBadGuys

Examples for the 2022 film go [[WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022 here]].

* UglyCute: The main characters are stereotypical scary predators with pretty gnarly designs. However, their endearing personalities give them a sympathetic and goofy edge, lending them charm as well.

!!Movie:
* AdaptationDisplacement: Despite their position on the New York Times' best seller list ''and'' the PeripheryDemographic that the books have, many people were still surprised to find that the movie was in fact adapted from a book series.
** It's especially notable in France. When the movie came out, the original edition was abandoned and a new edition was launched. This new edition adds color, turns the Bad Guys in their movie colors (Book!Snake becomes yellow, even though he's canonically green), and most notably, modifies Legs to make him closer to his movie counterpart (by renaming him Webs and turning him in a woman).
* {{Adorkable}}:
** While mostly suave and charismatic, Mr. Wolf has his moments, like whenever his tail starts wagging [[GoodFeelsGood after doing a good deed]], or [[spoiler: his excited, almost nerding-out reaction to Diane's secret base]].
** Diane is even more sophisticated than Wolf, though as he bonds with her, she starts leaning into adorable GenkiGirl levels of happy energy, [[spoiler: especially after TheReveal she is the Crimson Paw]].
* AlternateAesopInterpretation:
** Along with the Good Feels Good moral, a lot of conflict in the film is caused by Wolf and the other Bad Guys' need for attention and respect, with everything and everyone coming around perfectly for them as soon as they start doing things out of sincere intuition. It could be interpreted as a parable against being a "tryhard" and doing things for the sake of peers or respect as much as simply not being a bad person.
** The film also makes a point that all three main villains can still have bad qualities despite working on the side of good (Marmalade does [[PragmaticVillainy legitimately good things like stop wars and reverse climate change to meet his evil ends]], Wolf [[MustMakeAmends deals with the repurcussions]] of betraying his friends after his HeelFaceTurn, Diane reflects on her own hypocrisies as well as a near miss from [[ReformedButNotTamed still keeping the Zumpango Diamond she stole despite having long reformed]]). There's more to "being good" than just doing good deeds and rejecting outright villainy, there's plenty flaws and vices to work on as well.
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** The UsefulNotes/FurryFandom wasted approximately ''zero'' time interpreting Mr. Wolf's GoodFeelsGood reaction as a praise kink.
** Similarly, but more cleanly, Snake's been interpreted by a lot of fans as having an inferiority complex and deeply seated self-esteem issues due to his blow up towards Wolf during the third act, which often is used as a conflict in Wolf/Snake fanfics.
** [[spoiler:After the PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure with the Bad Guys, does Diane understand that Wolf didn't open up to his friends about being good and thus feels bad that he seemingly betrayed them, or does she think that it is good for him to 'cut ties' with his friends to join the good life, like what Marmalade told Wolf before? While Diane does assure Wolf that if his friends are real friends, they'll support his decision, it is ambiguous whether she personally believes the Bad Guys are TrueCompanions, or that they [[TheLoad hold Wolf down]], like what Snake fears.]]
** [[spoiler:Did Marmalade always intend to betray Snake at some point to get all of the bounty from his heist for himself, or did he genuinely want to strike a partnership with him until he changed his mind at some point?]]
** What is Tiffany Fluffit's personal opinion of the Bad Guys? Is her negative coverage of them motivated by prejudice against scary animals, or is she just echoing widespread sentiment about them to tell people what they want to hear and get herself more ratings? If the former, is her praise of them during the gala a genuine change of opinion, or does she still secretly fear them and only change her tune to keep up with public opinion?
** Is Mr. Snake's strongly adverse reaction to finding out about Wolf's planned HeelFaceTurn really because he feels that Wolf is selling out the gang? Or is it because [[spoiler: Snake himself had been planning to do the same thing with Marmalade and was envious that Wolf beat him to it, meaning he'd get the credit for being the first of the gang to reform before Snake did? An earlier conversation can even contextualise it as being more upset that Wolf didn't just ''tell him'' his intentions when he asked him about it, feeling hurt that his closest friend didn't open up to him.]]
** A lot of Diane's development in behaviour throughout the film following [[spoiler:TheReveal she is the actually the Crimson Paw can be recontextualised as her either slowly coming to trust the Bad Guys' change as genuine, or her learning to curb her own ego from being a master criminal herself, and [[{{Hypocrite}} not call the kettle black]], or possibly a bit of both. In particular:]]
*** [[spoiler: She trash talks the Bad Guys in her live statement and is hesitant to approve the redemption scheme over throwing them in jail after they almost get away with the Golden Dolphin. She can be interpreted as either wanting to double down on undermining and preventing dangerous threats to the city, or tacitally bragging about her own success rate, and then acting like a SoreLoser when a supposed pretender outsmarted her, deciding not to underestimate them again.]]
*** [[spoiler: Her handing her ring to Wolf as a test of character following TheReveal it was the Zumpango Diamond she previously stole. Was she shrewdly demonstrating a deep gesture of trust to Wolf, or was she pawning off a stolen item to him, with the potential of framing him as the Crimson Paw if he tried to betray her? After Wolf finds out, is he amused she was ''that'' cocky with incriminating evidence ([[NotSoAboveItAll thus not so above his league as she boasted]]), or more impressed she played such a dupe on him?]]
*** [[spoiler: Her smugness mostly fizzling completely after the Bad Guys rescue her from Marmalade can be interpreted as her now fully accepting their redemption, or her being humbled after being [[AlwaysABiggerFish made to look inferior against Marmalade much like she had treated them]].]]
* AwesomeEgo:
** "Cocky" doesn't ''begin'' to describe Mr. Wolf: he constantly engages in flashy heists, intentionally makes the police chase longer because it's his favorite part of any heist, and always struts around like he owns the place with a [[SmugSmiler smug grin]] on his muzzle. However, he's so much of a [[TheStrategist brilliant strategist]], BadassDriver, and charismatic LoveableRogue that you'll find him just as awesome as he finds himself.
** [[spoiler:Diane doesn't act the slightest bit humble about how skilled she is, but ''good God'' [[ActionGirl does]] [[BadassAdorable she]] [[ClassyCatBurglar back up]] ''[[WomenAreWiser all]]'' [[ActionPolitician of that]] [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter cockiness]].]]
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** [[https://youtu.be/pDZpvqbPLEc "Good Tonight"]], the song Mr. Piranha sings at the gala, is an amazing, upbeat tune that shows off Anthony Ramos' vocal talent perfectly.
** [[https://youtu.be/V6jREF89uDQ "The Old Switcheroo"]] plays when [[spoiler:Mr. Snake reveals how he tricked both the group and [[BigBad Professor Marmalade]] and it's a grandiose piece that starts relitavely calm and builds up into something big just before when we see Marmalade's place blowing up]].
* CaptainObviousReveal: [[spoiler: If you’ve seen pretty much any animated film from TheNewTens, then it should be immediately obvious that Marmalade is the villain. Even if you haven't, then the fact that his defining character trait is being almost saintly generous, and constant "flower of goodness" comments hinting that his actions are for show rather than altruism should spell it out for you. [[WordOfSaintPaul According to head of character animation JP Sans]], this was meant to be obvious from the start, as despite being a philanthropist, his smarmy, condescending attitude [[IntendedAudienceReaction was meant to invoke the "I want to punch him in the face" feeling]].]]
* CatharsisFactor:
** [[spoiler:On one hand, it's pretty [[HateSink blood-boiling]] to watch [[ManipulativeBastard Professor Marmalade]] [[WoundedGazelleGambit manipulate]] the rightfully angry Mr. Wolf into attacking him so as to make him look awful in the public eye. It's another thing when Professor Marmalade's ultimate fate is to be revealed as the meteor thief, with his mansion blowing up as proof. On top of that, he's handed the same courtesy he gave the Bad Guys: being humiliated and framed for something he didn't do (stealing the diamond which Diane actually stole)]].
** [[spoiler:On a lesser note, it's also pretty nice to see the shocked expressions on Tiffany Fluffit, Chief Luggins, and the entire police force's faces when Marmalade's mansion blows up. These guys have spent the whole movie treating the Bad Guys as irredeemable monsters and criminals, and when they see for the ''first time'' the Bad Guys truly are innocent of the meteor theft and realize that Marmalade was the true thief, it basically serves them all the big ol' slice of [[HumblePie humble pie]] that some viewers will have been waiting for.]]
* ClicheStorm: The first half of the movie is very much by the book (NoPunIntended): VillainProtagonist undergoes HeelFaceTurn after realizing GoodFeelsGood, meets up with [[spoiler: TheIdealist mentor/reformer who turns out to be EvilAllAlong, framing them for a heist that forces Wolf to have to ClearTheirName]], [[ReplacedWithReplica the old switcheroo]] in every [[TheCaper Caper]]...
* CrackPairing: Diane Foxington x [[Series/BreakingBad Walter White]] of all people. [[https://twitter.com/CometaZzzZ/status/1529277582268563456 Yes, it's a thing.]]
* EnsembleDarkHorse: Chief Luggins, a CanonForeigner police chief made to be the gang's first antagonist in the film, quickly became popular thanks to her chaotic animation, funny moments, and Creator/AlexBorstein's [[LargeHam over-the-top]] voice acting.
* EvilIsCool: While the movie is premised on the Bad Guys trying to be good, a huge number of fans -- mostly seen in fanarts -- enjoy them being criminals, which is something not usually seen from protagonists in children's animated movies. The gang is loved for their [[AffablyEvil charming]] yet [[BadassAdorable adorable]] flair, and have a good dosage of AdaptationalBadass, which helps their AntiHero status. The fact that the movie is a take on the heist/crime genre helps.
* EvilIsSexy: '''Mr. Wolf'''. He's a [[BadassInANiceSuit well-dressed]], [[AffablyEvil charming]], and [[TheCharmer charismatic]] LoveableRogue who also happens to be a tall and slim anthropomorphic wolf. It took the amount of time needed for a hummingbird's heart to beat once before the ''entirety'' of the furry fandom was in love with this guy, and even people outside the fandom share that love. For bonus points, he's voiced by Creator/SamRockwell.
* FanficFuel: What if the Bad Guys ''succeeded'' in stealing the Golden Dolphin?
* FriendlyFandoms:
** In addition to the usual furry fandom overlap that comes with high-profile movies focused on animals, many ''Manga/LupinIII'' fans adore this movie. Mr. Wolf and Chief Luggins are dead ringers for Lupin and Inspector Zenigata, and the story plays out like one of Lupin's more manic adventures.
** With ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', as both movies came out in 2022, focus on [[UsefulNotes/FurryFandom anthromorphic animals]] and have similarly stylized, colorful animation.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** The gang [[NearVillainVictory very nearly succeeding in the Golden Dolphin heist]] becomes this later on, once [[spoiler:Diane is revealed to be a ReformedCriminal trying to turn her life around for the better. The Good Samaritan Awards was one of her first big events as governor, meaning that the gang succeeding would have been devastating to her political career, taking away her opportunity to atone for her past. Her horrified reaction to the missing trophy and her desperate pleas to the audience not to panic become harder to bear on second viewings.]].
** [[spoiler: It gets ''worse'' factoring Marmalade's plan instead, which would have instead applied the theft of the Love Crater Meteorite, and countless charities for schools and hospitals getting robbed of their funds. Adding onto that Marmalade was smart enough to figure out Diane was the Crimson Paw, and the WordOfGod confirmation that Wolf was her first and only confidant since her HeelFaceTurn that Marmalade tried to play off as a rabid phony, Diane's entire life could have been destroyed had Marmalade won.]]
* HilariousInHindsight:
** This isn't the first time Creator/SamRockwell and Creator/AnthonyRamos have appeared in a Creator/DreamworksAnimation [[WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour film]] with the former voicing a character with a charming, confident, and sleek attitude with a sort of moral code, and the latter voicing a character with aquatic features.
** Mr. Wolf describing himself as TheBigBadWolf but somewhat resenting that reputation became this when the very next [=DreamWorks=] movie, ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'', would feature the Big Bad Wolf as one of the main villains.
** Sam Rockwell and guinea pigs tangled before in the Disney film ''Film/GForce''.
** Yet [[Film/KnivesOut another film]] has a character with a particularly gross reaction to lying/nervousness that gets weaponized for plot reasons later on, even if Mr. Piranha and Marta are on different sides of the law.
* HoYay:
** Wolf and Snake, as per the books.
*** In the cafe scene, when Mr. Wolf calls out for the check, Mr. Snake looks at him like he's in love with him.
*** A lot of the emotional tension is focused on them, culminating in Wolf being the only one Snake says he loves out loud and hugging each other [[spoiler:when it looks like they're about to fall to their deaths]]. [[labelnote:explanation]]Director Pierre Perifel says that, while they aren't a couple in his head personally, "those characters live also by themselves", and thus he doesn't know, there may very well be something there.[[/labelnote]]
** Ms. Tarantula, aka Webs, and Diane Foxington have some hints of subtext between them. Webs admits that she voted for Foxington, gives a ''very'' excited "Uh, yes?!?!" to Diane asking her on a "girl's trip" ([[spoiler:riding a motorbike and hacking a bunch of cars]]), and, upon being asked where she learned to hack, does an obvious attempt at waving it off and acting cool, before admitting that it was mostly [=YouTube=].
* InferredHolocaust: [[spoiler:A rather large amount of guinea pigs fall to their death near the end of the movie, and presumably even more die when Mr. Snake mind-controls them into blowing up the meteor. No attention is called to it. Though, in fairness, they've been shown to be MadeOfIron up to that point, getting hit by cars and getting used as a literal wave at one point and seemingly taking no significant damage, so there's a solid chance they're all fine.]]
* MagnificentBastard:
** [[GentlemanThief Mr. Wolf]], leader of the Bad Guys, exploits society’s negative reputation of him and his friends to commit heists. A dedicated planner who masterminds heist after heist, each more daring than the last, while making sure they’re as frantic as possible in order to make them more fun, when the plan to steal the Golden Dolphin lands him and his friends in jail, Wolf makes a deal with Professor Marmalade to become good in order to gain society’s trust before resuming crime as usual. Growing to enjoy being good despite his friends’ wishes, upon being betrayed and framed by [[spoiler:Marmalade]] for stealing a prized meteorite, Wolf writes up notes for Diane Foxington to steal everything in his base [[spoiler:save for one push-pop, knowing that it being left behind will provide the catalyst for the cynical Mr. Snake to [[HeelFaceTurn think of someone other than himself]] and help him defeat Marmalade.]] Saving his friends from death, while also ensuring Diane’s past as [[spoiler:the Crimson Paw]] remains a secret, Wolf turns himself and his friends in afterwards, having successfully reformed as good guys.
** [[TheLancer Mr. Snake]], Wolf’s best friend and expert safe cracker, is a selfish [[TheCynic cynic]] who eventually shows how cunning he can really be. [[spoiler:Pretending to betray his friends and work for Professor Marmalade in his plan to mind control guinea pigs into stealing $1 billion worth of charity money, Snake gets Marmalade to hand him his mind-control helmet so he can quickly control the guinea pigs into swapping the stolen meteorite with Marmalade’s lamp replica, later having it explode inside the professor’s mansion to prove his guilt beyond a doubt and get him convicted of theft.]]
** [[TheCracker Ms. Tarantula]], aka "Webs", is a skilled hacker able to crack into anything. Having been taught through experience (but mostly [=YouTube=] videos), Tarantula uses her skills to assist Wolf in his heists, from changing traffic lights to red to destroy pursuing police cars as they cross intersections to breaking through a security system designed specifically to block her from hacking it.
** [[spoiler:[[CunningLikeAFox Diane Foxington]], [[HundredPercentAdorationRating well-respected]] governor of Los Angeles, is actually [[ClassyCatBurglar the Crimson Paw]], a legendary thief who previously stole the Zumpago Diamond twice out of boredom. Turning good as a way to atone for her life of crime while keeping her past a secret, Diane shows she’s still got it when she helps the Bad Guys escape prison by beating up several guards, and even assists them in their plan to stop Professor Marmalade with a variety of gadgets and gizmos. Ultimately helping the Bad Guys reform, Diane joins them in whatever caper they’ve got next.]]
* MemeticMutation:
** The main character being a suave, attractive looking wolf-man caused the internet to waste no time making jokes about the film being [[PanderingToTheBase a trap to lure in furries]], with many members of the fandom even going along with it.
** The furries killed the Wizarding World. [[labelnote:explanation]]''The Bad Guys'' was released around the same time as both ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022'' and ''Film/FantasticBeastsTheSecretsOfDumbledore'', managing to beat out the latter at the domestic box office alongside the former. Since both ''Sonic'' and this film are PopularWithFurries, this led to jokes that the furries ultimately killed off the ''Harry Potter'' franchise.[[/labelnote]]
** Using screen captures of the film as a base to draw characters over has become a common trend in the UsefulNotes/FurryFandom, with the opening chase sequence and Mr. Wolf dancing with Diane being the two most common sequences to choose images from.
** The Bad Guys 621. [[labelnote:explanation]]The film's DVD and Blu-ray release date was June 21st, with the number "621" being commonly associated with a furry art archive site. This spawned SchmuckBait encouraging people to search for "The Bad Guys 621" under the pretense of it being the film's release date.
** Some people have pointed out how Professor Marmalade looks an awful lot like Creator/JamesCorden.
[[/labelnote]]
* MisaimedFandom: For the brief time the film and ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}'' overlapped in theaters, some audiences protested ''Lightyear'' for being "too woke" and took children to see ''The Bad Guys'' instead. This is despite the message of ''The Bad Guys'' focusing on the pains of discrimination while also criticizing both the criminal justice system and the influence the wealthy have on people's perceptions.
* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:While the theft of the charity money (with the added possibility of casualties) is already a heinous act, Professor Marmalade finally crosses it when he threatens to kick Mr. Snake off of his helicopter if the Bad Guys don't give up the meteorite. Even when the gang agrees to give him the meteorite, the guinea pig still kicks Snake off.]]
* NightmareFuel:
** Wolf's UnstoppableRage after [[spoiler:Marmalade shows his true colors]]. [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FRvRvUYVgAAAMBR?format=jpg&name=medium One can literally see the bloodlust in his eyes]] -- if he hadn't been restrained, he would've torn [[spoiler:Marmalade]] apart. It's the one part in the film where you understand why the Bad Guys are [[TheDreaded feared by everyone in-universe]].
** [[spoiler:Marmalade showing his true colors]] counts as well. With completely frazzled hair, a feral look in his eyes, and the sound of bloodlust and insanity in his voice, [[spoiler:Marmalade's reveal might be a CaptainObviousReveal]], but it's surprisingly scary. [[spoiler:There's also the fact he can [[TheSociopath switch]] from insane and nihilistic to terrified and normal with the flip of a switch. He's '''''[[ManipulativeBastard just that good]]''''' at playing with emotions]].
* PopularWithFurries: Despite the popularity of the book series, it took until the movie's first trailer for a huge boom of furry fandom to gain interest in the series. Notable characters of interest include Mr. Wolf, Diane Foxington, and Mr. Shark, with some sapphic fans also taking a liking to Webs. Helping matters is a trailer scene where the main cast wear [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onesie_(jumpsuit)#Kigurumi kigu]], which are featured fairly prominently in the film itself.
* ShipMates: Diane/Ms. Tarantula is somewhat popular among those who ship Mr. Wolf/Mr. Snake.
* SignatureScene:
** The entire opening sequence, starting with TheOner at the diner (a ShoutOut to ''Film/PulpFiction'') and followed by the car chase.
** Mr. Wolf saving the cat from the tree.
** Mr. Wolf and Diane's dance scene at the charity gala.
* SpiritualAdaptation:
** Take the zany heist scenes, the designs of the humans, and render them in 2D black-and-white, and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's for a new installment of Manga/LupinIII. Officer Luggin's status as a dedicated member of the law constantly coming close to but always failing to apprehend her suave and crafty [[JustForPun lupine]] nemesis directly brings to mind Zenigata.
*** [[https://twitter.com/nowit7hotter/status/1520079470639849472 Perfectly summed up by this fanart.]]
*** The CGI art style even resembles ''Anime/LupinIIITheFirst''.
** This is the closest we'll ever get to a ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'' movie. Mr. Wolf is the suave LovableRogue protagonist standing in for Sly, while Diane Foxington and Chief Luggins feel like a DecompositeCharacter of Carmelita Fox (the former being the FoxyVixen love interest, and the latter the police officer obsessed with catching Mr. Wolf / Cooper).
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The film’s character design and animation style is a common point of praise by fans. Some have compared it favorably to Creator/AkiraToriyama and ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse''.
* WinBackTheCrowd:
** Most [=DreamWorks=] fans were disappointed with the studio's [[WesternAnimation/SpiritUntamed subpar]] [[WesternAnimation/TheBossBabyFamilyBusiness output]] [[WesternAnimation/TrollhuntersRiseOfTheTitans in 2021]], only to be blown away by this film's endearing and well-developed characters, [[SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome stunning animation]], and witty (if not entirely original) writing. It's a critical darling as well, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating and Metascore of 88% and 64, respectively.
** The first Italian trailer was met with skepticism because of the dubbing for Mr. Wolf and Diane, played by two actors with no prior experience in the field, being perceived as amateurish. However, the response to the film was ultimately positive, and the dubbing, despite having some GratuitousEnglish, was reevaluated for the better.
----

* FanPreferredCouple:
** In the books, Mr. Wolf has a crush on Agent Fox and the two develop mutual attraction as the series progresses, but a lot of fans prefer the chemistry between Mr. Wolf and Mr. Snake, especially because of a part in Book 5 depicting a jealous Snake thinking Mr. Wolf likes Agent Fox more than him.
** This carried over to the film as well thanks to their dynamic as the parents of a CriminalFoundFamily, as well as Mr. Snake's PlatonicDeclarationOfLove and the hug they share. Though this preference is lessened somewhat thanks to the film showing Mr. Wolf and Diane's strong chemistry that wasn't as prevalent in the books.

* DesignatedHero: [[spoiler: Diane. While the Bad Guys covering for her is a very sweet gesture (and Marmalade getting framed as the Crimson Paw is quite cathartic), it also inflicts a DoubleStandard, where the group complete their RedemptionQuest by facing up to their actions while the supposedly more seasoned atoner Diane doesn't. It doesn't help that Diane spends a lot of the movie being hypocritically pious (while still bragging about her crimes and even keeping one of her thefts), not to mention the situation [[RealismInducedHorror having uncomfortable similarities to several real life celebrities or people of power who have their nastier actions covered or ignored because they also do benefitial things]].]] Of course being a heist spoof, ProtagonistCenteredMorality is to be expected.

** The film also makes a point that all three main villains can have bad qualities despite working on the side of good (Marmalade does [[PragmaticVillainy legitimately good things like stop wars and reverse climate change to meet his ends]], Wolf [[MustMakeAmends deals with the repurcussions]] of betraying his friends after his HeelFaceTurn, Diane reflects on her own hypocrisies as well a near miss from [[ReformedButNotTamed still keeping the Zumpango Diamond she stole]]). There's more to "being good" than just doing good deeds and rejecting outright villainy, there's plenty flaws and vices to work on as well.

* {{Adorkable}}: While mostly suave and charismatic, Mr. Wolf has his moments, like whenever his tail starts wagging [[GoodFeelsGood after doing a good deed]], or [[spoiler: his excited, almost nerding-out reaction to Diane's secret base]].
* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Along with the Good Feels Good moral, a lot of conflict in the film is caused by Wolf and the other Bad Guys' need for attention and respect, with everything and everyone coming around perfectly for them as soon as they start doing things out of sincere intuition. It could be interpreted as a parable against being a "tryhard" and doing things for the sake of peers or respect as much as simply not being a bad person.

** [[spoiler: It gets ''worse'' factoring Marmalade's plan instead, which would have instead applied the theft of the Love Crater Meteorite, and countless charities for schools and hospitals getting robbed of their funds. Adding onto that Marmalade was smart enough to figure out Diane was the Crimson Paw, and the WordOfGod confirmation that Wolf was her first and only confidant since her HeelFaceTurn, Diane's entire life could have been destroyed had Marmalade won.]]

* HarsherInHindsight: The gang [[NearVillainVictory very nearly succeeding in the Golden Dolphin heist]] becomes this later on, once [[spoiler:Diane is revealed to be a ReformedCriminal trying to turn her life around for the better. The Good Samaritan Awards was one of her first big events as governor, meaning that the gang succeeding would have been devastating to her political career, taking away her opportunity to atone for her past. Her horrified reaction to the missing trophy and her desperate pleas to the audience not to panic become harder to bear on second viewings.]]. However...

** [[spoiler: Said incident turns into this trope after they are caught, and Diane acts noticeably petulant at Wolf the next scene. TheReveal that Diane was the Crimson Paw [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation recontextualises]] her previous dismissiveness of the Bad Guys as more or less [[PretenderDiss schoolyard trash talk]], and now basically acting like a SoreLoser because her so-called inferiors outsmarted her]].

** [[https://youtu.be/V6jREF89uDQ "The Old Switcheroo"]] plays when [[spoiler:Mr. Snake reveals how he tricked both the group and [[BigBad Pofessor Marmalade]] and it's a grandiose piece that starts relitavely calm and builds up into something big just before when we see Marmalade's place blowing up]].

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://youtu.be/pDZpvqbPLEc "Good Tonight"]], the song Mr. Piranha sings at the gala, is an amazing, upbeat tune that shows off Anthony Ramos' vocal talent perfectly.

* DesignatedVillain: Professor Marmalade.
-->'''Tiffany Fluffit:''' Professor, in the past year, you've stopped wars, fed the hungry and saved countless pandas.
-->'''WebVideo/CinemaSins:''' For a con man, Professor Marmalade is certainly performing a lot of actual good deeds.
-->...
-->'''Diane:''' And successfully reversed climate change for the well-being of all of us.
-->'''[=CinemaSins=]:''' Wait! Did she just say that Professor Marmalade "reversed climate change"? Since the movie never refutes this claim, now I believe this little f*cker deserves the billion dollars he tries to steal at the end of the movie.

*** [[spoiler: She trash talks the Bad Guys in her live statement and is hesitant to approve the redemption scheme over throwing them in jail after they almost get away with the Golden Dolphin. She can be interpreted as either wanting to double down on undermining and preventing dangerous threats to the city, or tacitally bragging about her own success rate, and acting like a SoreLoser when a supposed pretender outsmarted her.]]

** Is Mr. Snake's strongly adverse reaction to finding out about Wolf's planned HeelFaceTurn really because he feels that Wolf is selling out the gang? Or is it because [[spoiler: Snake himself had been planning to do the same thing with Marmalade and was envious that Wolf beat him to it, meaning he'd get the credit for being the first of the gang to reform before Snake did?]]

** [[spoiler: Said incident turns into this trope after they are caught, and Diane acts noticeably petulant at Wolf the next scene. TheReveal that Diane was the Crimson Paw recontextualises her previous dismissiveness of the Bad Guys as more or less [[PretenderDiss schoolyard trash talk]], and now basically acting like a SoreLoser because her so-called inferiors outsmarted her]].

* AlternateAesopInterpretation:
** Along with the Good Feels Good moral, a lot of conflict in the film is caused by Wolf and the other Bad Guys' need for attention and respect, with everything and everyone coming around perfectly for them as soon as they start doing things out of sincere intuition. It could be interpreted as a parable against being a "tryhard" and doing things for the sake of peers or respect as much as simply not being a bad person.
** The Bad Guys, Diane, and Marmalade all undergo the same character arc, all being arrogant flexers who think they are the top-dog in their field due to their success rate, and try to undermine and con each other. Despite a supposed heirarchy of competence, all of them take turns getting outplayed and having a massive ego blow, and each one has to answer Luggins at the end. However, while Diane and the Bad Guys humble and choose to behave like peers and help the other in their moments of failure (and ultimately become better happier people for it), Marmalade remains an arrogant backstabber and is left demolished by their combined synergy with no one to back him up (not even Cuddles). No one's invincible, and there's no real winner in toxic competitions, so you're better making friends to back you in your Darkest Hour rather than several vengeful enemies.

** Along with the GoodFeelsGood motif, a lot of conflict in the film is caused by Wolf and the other Bad Guys' need for attention and respect, with everything and everyone [[KarmicJackpot coming around perfectly for them]] as soon as they start doing things out of sincere intuition. It could be interpreted as a parable against being a "tryhard" and doing things for the sake of peers or respect as much as simply not being a bad person.

** The Bad Guys, Diane, and Marmalade ''all'' undergo the same character arc, [[MirroringFactions all being arrogant flexers who think they are the top-dog in the same field]] [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent due to their success rate]], and try to undermine and con each other. Despite a supposed heirarchy of competence, ''all'' of them [[AlwaysABiggerFish take turns getting outplayed]] and [[BreakTheHaughty having a massive ego blow]], and [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty each one has to answer Luggins at the end]]. However, while Diane and the Bad Guys [[CharacterDevelopment humble]] and choose to behave like peers and help the other in their moments of failure ([[PositiveFriendInfluence and ultimately become better happier people for it]]), Marmalade remains an arrogant backstabber and is left demolished by [[ThePowerOfFriendship their combined synergy]] with no one to back him up ([[FunnyBackgroundEvent not even Cuddles]]). No one's invincible, and there's no real winner in toxic competitions, so you're better making friends to back you in your DarkestHour rather than several vengeful enemies.
** Additionally, Diane's main reason for dismissing the Bad Guys is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter her superior track record over them]] seemingly making her more professional, though thoughout the film, it becomes more a case of TechnicianVsPerformer, with the Bad Guys' penchant for [[IndyPloy on-the-fly tactics]] giving them an edge while Diane at least twice over panics and needs help due to her strategies failing for once. An approach that has a good success rate isn't neccessarily "better", a simple change of circumstance can turn the tides.

** [[spoiler:[[CunningLikeAFox Diane Foxington]], [[HundredPercentAdorationRating well-respected]] governor of Los Angeles, is actually [[ClassyCatBurglar the Crimson Paw]], a legendary thief who previously stole the Zumpago Diamond twice out of boredom. Turning good as a way to atone for her life of crime while keeping her past a secret, Diane shows she’s still got it when she helps the Bad Guys escape prison by beating up several guards, and even assists them in their plan to stop Professor Marmalade with a variety of gadgets and gizmos. Ultimately helping the Bad Guys reform, Diane joins them in whatever caper they’ve got next.]]

* Additionally, Diane's main reason for dismissing the Bad Guys is [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter her superior track record over them]] seemingly making her more professional, though thoughout the film, it becomes more a case of PerformerVsTechnician, with the Bad Guys' penchant for [[IndyPloy on-the-fly tactics]] giving them an edge while Diane at least twice over panics and needs help due to her strategies failing for once. An approach that has a good success rate isn't neccessarily "better", a simple change of circumstance can turn the tides.

** [[spoiler: Said incident turns into this trope after they are caught, and Diane acts noticeably petulant at Wolf the next scene. Given the whole incident was started by her {{Pretender Diss}}ing the Bad Guys in the first place, the Crimson Paw is basically acting like a SoreLoser because her so-called inferiors outsmarted her]].

** [[Said incident turns into this trope after they are caught, and Diane acts noticeably petulant at Wolf the next scene. Given the whole incident was started by her {{Pretender Diss}}ing the Bad Guys in the first place, the Crimson Paw is basically acting like a SoreLoser because her so-called inferiors outsmarted her]].

* HarsherInHindsight: The gang [[NearVillainVictory very nearly succeeding in the Golden Dolphin heist]] becomes this later on, once [[spoiler:Diane is revealed to be a ReformedCriminal trying to turn her life around for the better. The Good Samaritan Awards was one of her first big events as governor, meaning that the gang succeeding would have been devastating to her political career, taking away her opportunity to atone for her past. Her horrified reaction to the missing trophy and her desperate pleas to the audience not to panic become harder to bear on second viewings]].

** The Bad Guys, Diane, and Marmalade ''all'' undergo the same character arc, [[MirroringFactions all being arrogant flexers who think they are the top-dog in the same field]] [[WeHaveBecomeComplacent due to their success rate]], and try to undermine and con each other. Despite a supposed heirarchy of competence, ''all'' of them [[AlwaysABiggerFish take turns getting outplayed]] and [[BreakTheHaughty having a massive ego blow]], and [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty each one has to answer Luggins at the end]]. However, while Diane and the Bad Guys [[CharacterDevelopment humble]] and choose to behave like peers and help the other in their moments of failure, Marmalade remains an arrogant backstabber and is left demolished by [[ThePowerOfFriendship their combined synergy]] with no one to back him up ([[FunnyBackgroundEvent not even Cuddles]]). No one's invincible, and there's no real winner in toxic competitions, so you're better making friends to back you in your DarkestHour rather than several vengeful enemies.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: Along with the GoodFeelsGood motif, a lot of conflict in the film is caused by Wolf and the other Bad Guys' need for attention and respect, with everything and everyone [[KarmicJackpot coming around perfectly for them]] as soon as they start doing things out of sincere intuition. It could be interpreted as a parable against being a "tryhard" and doing things for the sake of peers or respect as much as simply not being a bad person.

** The Bad Guys 621. [[labelnote:explanation]]The film's DVD and Blu-ray release date was June 21st, with the number "621" being commonly associated with a furry art archive site. This spawned SchmuckBait encouraging people to search for "The Bad Guys 621" under the pretense of it being the film's release date.[[/labelnote]]