This is the story of how five criminals try to pull a Falsely Reformed Villain scheme, but find themselves discovering that Good Feels Good and reforming for real. Of course there's going to be this kind of moments!
- Right at the very start, when he's very much an unrepentant career criminal, Mr. Wolf still goes out of his way to pay for his meal at a diner, even when the staff is too scared of him to approach the register. He leaves a generous tip, too.
- Even if for but a moment during the car chase, Mr. Wolf trades his typical cocky expression for a genuine smile (complete with Expressive Ears) to inform the audience that it's Mr. Snake's birthday.Wolf: He's also my best bud. And today's his birthdaaaay!
Snake: (sighs) Not relevant.
Wolf: (puts an arm around him) He's a sweetheart. (to Snake) You're a sweetheart! - Although it’s Played for Laughs the fact that Mr. Wolf warns the Chief of an incoming vehicle when she is latched onto his car mid-chase, even though she has a serious hatred for the Bad Guys and is determined to arrest them, he still didn’t want her to get hurt.
- The way every member of the Bad Guys goes out of their way to contribute to Mr. Snake's birthday, even as they're fleeing from the cops:
- Ms. Tarantula orders a cake after tangling up the cops on the crew's tail.
- Mr. Shark cheerfully supplies a birthday hat for Mr. Snake.
- Mr. Piranha would have brought the present, if he hadn't forgotten. He makes up for it later by singing what probably would have been a rather soulful version of the "Happy Birthday" song if Mr. Snake hadn't interrupted him.
- Mr. Snake spends the entire prologue being a grouch and snarking, but when he looks at the pictures the gang has taken over the years, a big smile stretches across his face.
- And then when he gets the tingle for the first time, there's a brief moment where that rare smile returns before Mr. Snake shakes it off. But it ends up sticking with him, prompting his secret Heel–Face Turn.
- Also from the birthday party, Mr. Snake has a surprisingly poignant way of sort-of admitting his cohorts are his friends.Mr. Snake: I've made a lot of enemies in my time — I mean, a lot — but out of all the people in the world...I hate you guys the least.
Ms. Tarantula: Awww!
Mr. Piranha: That was actually kind of beautiful.
Mr. Shark: You're a poet, man. - Even with all the snark, teasing, and sometimes even fights, it's clear the gang is a Criminal Found Family.
- The development of the relationship between Mr. Wolf and the governor Diane Foxington is a beautifully handled arc, and it progresses smoothly throughout the movie.
- At first, there's nothing but contempt and scorn on both sides. Diane unloads a torrent of demeaning insults on the Bad Guys during a conference, since they're criminals that have been terrorizing the city for years. note Wolf retaliates by launching a risky heist with the express purpose of humiliating her.
- When said heist goes south, and the two both make fools of themselves in public, Mr. Wolf manages to talk his way into getting Marmalade to reform the Bad Guys. Diane's not for the idea at all, but relents when Mr. Wolf reminds her of their earlier conversation about how even trash can be repurposed into something beautiful. Though it only seems to grudgingly move Diane's hand at the time, unbeknownst to Wolf, this Hypocrisy Nod hit hard given Diane's past as a Reformed Criminal, setting her on being a good influence rather than simply having a good public persona.
- After the fiasco of the lab heist, Diane threatens to stop the reform plan right then and there and send them to jail. When Wolf tries to smooth-talk her, she's not impressed and keeps chewing him out for his unwillingness to change, making him snap and tells her off in return for not putting herself into his position by revealing his anger at the world for judging him just because of his species and that people like her wouldn't understand them, even if they genuinely change their ways.Diane: I gave you an opportunity! A chance to show the world that you're more that just a scary stereotype! But you're too proud or too gutless to take advantage of it!
Mr. Wolf: Gutless?! I'm gutless?! (angry laughter) I'm sorry, have we met?! I'm the villain of every story! Guilty until proven innocent! And even if by some miracle we did change, (points accusingly at Diane, who suddenly looks amused) who's gonna believe us?! HUH?! Of course you wouldn't know anything about that, with your Little Miss Perfect power suits!
Diane: (coy smirk) Is that so?... (reveals the ring she stole back from Wolf) - This honest outburst makes Diane realize she and him aren't that different, and she decides to try a nicer approach while revealing her own pickpocketing skills by stealing her ring back from Wolf.Diane: A wolf and a fox are not so different. Maybe they will believe you. Maybe they won't. But it doesn't matter. Don't do it for them, do it for you. This is a chance to write your own story. To find a better life for you and your friends. [...] Believe it or not, I'm rooting for you, Wolf.
- Note her expressions as Wolf pours his heart out imply she was bluffing to begin with and genuinely just wanted one honest gesture out of him so she could understand him more and support him.
- This You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech affects Wolf profoundly, making him start to wonder if maybe she is right. It's shortly after this that he takes his Heroes' Frontier Step by rescuing the cat from the tree.
- At the gala, she invites him to dance, and it's a gigantic Ship Tease moment as they start developing a real chemistry. And during a lull in the dance...Diane: So... how it feels to not be feared by everyone for a change?
(Mr. Wolf looks back at the crowd cheering for them, then down at his wagging tail.)
Mr. Wolf: It feels... Good. Real good. Diane...
(Mr. Wolf reveals he's slipped her ring into her hands. She gasps and looks up at him.)
Mr. Wolf: It belongs to you. - When Wolf is on the verge of launching the final step of the scheme, he can't do it, and goes good for real because the idea of betraying the newfound trust and love he's receiving, of betraying her trust, is now unbearable. He finally makes the last step and willingly lets Marmalade have the Golden Dolphin, not for "them", or even himself, but for Diane. While it's bittersweet from his teammates realising he's abandoned them, Diane, who was initially skeptical to letting them go, is now all smiles around Wolf and perfectly set to pardon them at that very moment....
- When the final touches on Marmalade's frame-up strike and the team is scrambling to avoid the police, Wolf sacrifices a few seconds to give her a map to the gang's hideout and loot.Diane: What are you doing?!
Mr. Wolf: I'm giving it all back! - When the frame-up is completed and the Bad Guys lose everything, she's disappointed and saddened... until she remembers the map he gave her. When she reaches the hideout and sees all their loot, she realizes that he IS sincere, leading her to realize Marmalade's true nature and reclaim the mantle of the Crimson Paw that she disowned so long ago in order to rescue the Bad Guys and team up with them to stop him.
- When the gang abandons him, thinking he betrayed them (in truth, Marmalade secretly tried to get them to walk against Wolf), Wolf is completely broken by the loss of the only friends he's ever had. Diane comforts him by telling him how she came to abandon the mantle of the Crimson Paw, and that she knows how hard it is to abandon all that you have.Diane: Now, instead of hurting people, I'm helping them. I'm still me, I'm just... Me on the right side. *softly* You're doing the right thing. And someday, your friends... If they're REAL friends, they'll understand.
- Word of God states that Diane never really had any real support during her Heel–Face Turn, and resultantly feels the need to have Wolf's back during his own. It also really puts into perspective Diane's blissful almost Genki Girl level transformation around Wolf as the two bond throughout the movie. She finally has a friend who knows the real her and support for her own rather lonely redemption.
- When they get to the Crimson Paw's lair, Diane comments "It's good to be back home". This adventure helps her re-embrace her past as the Crimson Paw, reminding her why she enjoyed it and showing her that her skills can be used as a force for good. Both her and Wolf's almost childlike excitment as she shows off her lair is also quite endearing, equivelent to a kid showing her new playmate all her best toys.
- As they work out Marmalade's scheme, their chemistry develops even more, making them look like a Battle Couple.Mr. Wolf and Diane: We have to steal the meteorite!
Mr. Wolf: That was very cute, what we just did there... - After they get captured by Marmalade, the latter gloats about Diane accidentally revealing her secret identity by making a cocky move, hiding a stolen diamond in the ring she tested Wolf with. Even in this intense moment of peril, the two can't resist breaking the mood with playful banter, now knowing Diane is closer to Wolf's fallible mindset than she claimed.
Wolf: *chuckles* You gotta be kidding me!Diane: *smiles embarrassed* What? I'm sentimental.- Notably, after this moment of playful humbling, and the assurance that Wolf's teammates are loyal to him after saving them both, pretty much any lingering remainder of both Wolf and Diane's superiority complexes are gone, with Diane full-on a cheerful peer and One of the Guys throughout the rest of the heist and immersing herself in the group's usual goofy banter. While Agent Fox remained a somewhat distanced superior in the books, Wolf and co have Happily Adopted the film's Diane as the sixth member of their quirky family.
Shark: OOH, she just keeps gettin' cooler!Wolf: Oh yeah!- Once all is said and done, she tries to defend the Bad Guys from the police. When Luggins insists there's no way Diane could know they're innocent unless she was conspiring with known criminals, the only apparent way for Diane to prove their innocence is to confess that she was the Crimson Paw, which means completely destroying her new life. She decides to do it anyway. However, Wolf refuses to let her do that and surrenders, followed by the rest of the gang.Diane: It's time I came clean about something. The truth is, I'm really... really—
Mr. Wolf: Really a big fan of redemption arcs. Yeah, we know. - Wolf entrusts the cat to Diane.
- Their final exchange before the gang goes to jail:Diane: I'm proud of you, Wolf.
Mr. Wolf: Y'know, a fox and a wolf are not that different. You've got a good thing going here, Governor. - As the Bad Guys leave in the police car, Wolf and Diane exchange one last look, like after the first Golden Dolphin heist. This time, Diane looks at Wolf with pride and affection instead of contempt and wariness, and Wolf's salute is genuine instead of mocking.
- At the end of the film, Diane is the one to pick up the Bad Guys when they're released from jail. The way Mr. Wolf plays it off in his conversation with Snake, he knew it would happen. The surprise here is the car Diane comes in: a convertible version of Mr. Wolf's own car with her own yellow Crimson Paw stripes painted on it.
- While it's fully Played for Laughs, it is heartwarming that, when Wolf first suggests his plan to "go good" to his teammates, they aren't angry, but really concerned for him, fearfully worrying he somehow got brain damage.
- While the first attempt to rescue the cat is a hilarious disaster, the second attempt goes here. Wolf goes slowly and softly, grabs the cat when he falls down and puts him back on his refuge, talks to him... And the cat jumps in his hands. As he looks at him, Wolf feels the tingling anew.
- Even better, Wolf putting the cat back in its perch after rescuing it from falling. He doesn't want to "technically" rescue the cat from the tree, he wants the cat to feel safe enough to come to him of its own free will.
- After that, every time the cat and Wolf are on screen is filled with cute interactions between them. Two very notable examples:
- During the discussion between Wolf and Marmalade right after the rescue, the cat nibbles Wolf's fingers.
- After the climax, the cat's in Shark's hand. The instant it sees Wolf, it immediately gets close to him and taps on his shoulder. Wolf automatically lifts his hands for the cat to jump in.
- A small one, but during their first encounter with the Crimson Paw, Shark Security Clings Piranha and Webs. Both him and Wolf also stand protectively in front of the others despite being just as intimidated as them. Of course it's Diane but still a cute gesture.
- When the Bad Guys, already broken up by their abandonment of Wolf, discover their hideout completely empty, they completely break down. Snake finds one last push pop in the fridge, even though it wasn't there before, but when Shark starts bawling his eyes out, he gives him the push pop without a second thought, even though he always refused to before and took a mean pleasure in baiting Shark with it. Shark, Piranha, and Tarantula stare in shock at him, before realizing that if Snake, Snake, the most sinister and evil of the gang, can do that, then...Ms. Tarantula: I think Wolf was right... Maybe we can be more than just scary villains...
(Her abdomen starts wagging.)
Ms. Tarantula: (gasps)
(Shark and Piranha's fins start wagging too.)
Mr. Shark: What?!
Mr. Piranha: Whoa!
Ms. Tarantula: (incredulous laugh) Is this... Is this wagging?! We're- WE'RE WAGGING!!
(Even Snake's tail starts wagging, and he begins smiling! But then he has to ruin the moment...)- The very scope of this scene. It would be understandable if the collective Bad Guys (minus the already reformed Wolf) developed trust issues about "turning good". After all, the guy who initiated it (Marmalade) manufactured the whole scenario just to pin them as his patsies and doesn't even believe in Good Feels Good like he claims to. But then, Snake initiates sharing the push pop with Shark, and this time does so without Marmalade's prodding or prompting. This leads to Tarantula, Shark, and Piranha coming to their own collective epiphany that they're capable of redemption of their own free will. Marmalade was wrong indeed.
- After the two constantly coming to childish blows throughout the film, Shark just seems so touched that Snake was unironically kind to him.
Shark: *stunned* You...you did a good thing... *smiles* For me! - When Shark, Piranha, and Tarantula save Wolf and Diane from a Death Trap, Wolf is overjoyed to see they returned. When they confess they felt the tingling, they start gushing about how awesome it feels (and forget that the trap is still on). And once the trap is off, Wolf immediately glomps them.Mr. Wolf: GUYS?! I can't believe it's you!
Ms. Tarantula: You were right, Wolfie!
Mr. Shark: We felt the wag, man!
Mr. Piranha: And the tingling!
Mr. Wolf: It's good, right? [...] Oh, guys! Am I happy to see you!- If you look closely at Shark, Piranha, and Tarantula, you'll notice that they're still wagging! Either that was a really intense epiphany, or they're that happy of reconciling with Wolf!
- After they appear, Wolf spends the rest of the scene with a huge smile on his face, even as he's being lowered in the Death Trap. Even though there's a bit of "told ya" smugness in it, it really shows how happy he is to be reunited with the friends he thought he had lost, and how much he trusts them.
- As the team runs away from Marmalade's complex, Wolf takes the time to pick up the cat. He even gives him Cool Shades!
- This time, there's no need for a rescue. The cat unhesitatingly jumps from the top of the tree into Wolf's hands.
- Everyone else, Diane included, looking utterly bewildered that Wolf has halted the chase to do such, until he puts on the shades, upon which they all smile from Cuteness Proximity.
- A blink-and-you'll-miss-it case, but the way the gang celebrate after stealing the Meteorite. Wolf noogies Piranha while Diane fist bumps Webs. A cute display of how the two even mirror each other in their affection towards the littler members of the group.
- When the Bad Guys struggle to plant Ms. Tarantula's hacking devices on the hijacked money trucks to get them away from Professor Marmalade, Diane then suggests a "girls' trip" where just she and Webs do the work slapping on the devices, and Webs agrees. Her idea works well in spite of some deadly close calls, with Diane even complimenting Webs' technical skills, showing she's immersing well in having a synergy with the whole group as well as Wolf.
- The look of joy on Ms. Tarantula's face when she's invited. After being the only woman on the team, she's finally got a gal pal to bond with.
- The team decides to sacrifice their chance at clearing their names to try and bring Snake back into the fold.Mr. Wolf: ...We can't do this without him.
Mr. Shark: He's a grumpypants...
Ms. Tarantula: But he's our grumpypants.
Mr. Piranha: Yeah!
[...]
Mr. Wolf: SNAKE!!!
Mr. Snake: Wolf?!
Mr. Wolf: Snake! Come back!
Mr. Shark: We need you, baby!
Ms. Tarantula: And you need us! - The team puts their lives on the line for Snake, even though he betrayed them. (Or so they think,) but still.
- When Professor Marmalade shoots at the Bad Guys, Mr. Snake looks visibly distressed and worried that his friends will get hit and tries to stop him. Even the way he tries to save face is by complimenting his former ally.Snake: (anxious) H-hey, let's dial this down a notch, huh? (switches back to Smug Snake mode) Besides, you'll never get him, he's too good a driver.
- When Marmalade backstabs Snake and kicks him off the helicopter, Wolf frantically drives the car off a cliff to try and grab him. And the rest of the group are all for it.
- Also serving as a nice Call-Back to the intro. Wolf's daredevil antics in the bank chase led to even Piranha calling him out for being out of his mind. In this case however, after he consults with them first, they are 100% on his side. It seems all Wolf had to do was ask them for their support.
- Wolf and Snake's reconciliation.Mr. Snake: ...You came back.
Mr. Wolf: Snake, I should have been honest with you! I was afraid that if you knew I wanted to be good, that you'd—
Mr. Snake: Act like a jerk and never talk to you again?
Mr. Wolf: Yeah. Point is, I... I... You know I...
Mr. Snake: Yeah. I love you too, buddy.
(they hug)- The rest of the Bad Guys joining in right after.
- The reveal that Snake was a Fake Defector counts. After his Ignored Epiphany and furiously ditching the rest of the gang, he felt something weird, looked, and saw that even through the anger, the hatred, the grudge, the cynicism, the bitterness, the denial... his tail was still wagging. This realization breaks down his barriers, and he FINALLY accepts that Wolf was right, that he can rise above what the world thinks of him.
- The playful Defeat Equals Friendship approach Wolf turns himself in to longtime foe Chief Luggins. Luggins is so dumbfounded, that Wolf slips on his handcuffs for her and waits amused while she seeps in her victory.Wolf: *winks* Take us in, Chief.Luggins: *gapes* Well really?Wolf: *puts on cuffs, smiling* You finally did it, this is your moment, Chief. Drink it in.Luggins: *gasps elated* Wow, I mean should-I should give a speech! *starts rambling to her officers*
- Wolf reveals that he left that last push pop in the fridge. It was a last message of apology and trust to the gang, and it triggered their redemption for real.
- The real scope of the fact that, pretty much all the awesome stuff from the last half of the film, the Crimson Paw breakout, the gang saving Wolf and Diane from the death trap, the epic truck chase, Snake's Fake Defector plan, all happened solely because Wolf orchestrated one display of what he thought it meant to be a good guy in his lair for Diane and the rest of the gang to experience, knowing they'd turn the rest of the cogs themselves. Wolf outdone Marmalade in weaponising "goodness", but rather than just using and manipulating pawns, he was sincerely kind and enlightening and got thanked in the most amazing of ways.
- In The Stinger, as the Bad Guys leave the prison after serving their time, they have positive interactions with the guards. It's a good sign that their reputation really has improved.
- Once outside, they wonder with annoyance how they'll get back to town.Mr. Snake: Y'know, on second thought, Wolf, maybe I'd wish for a ride.
Mr. Wolf: Oh, yeah? Alakazam. (snaps his fingers) - Cue the new Bad-Guys-Mobile stopping right in front of them, and at the wheel...Diane: Hey guys! Ready to get to work?
Mr. Snake: Nice! - The cat's in the car too, and jumps into Wolf's arms.
- The movie ends like it began, with the gang (now with Diane and the cat) putting on their Cool Shades, and driving wildly towards their new lives, laughing and whooping.Mr. Wolf: Hey, you! That's right, come here! A little closer! (gets firm) I SAID CLOSER. (camera zooms in as he returns to his calm face) Now that we've had some time to get acquainted, uh, not so scary now, are we? Webs, hit it! (Ms. Tarantula plays "Stop, Drop, and Roll" by Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop on her phone as the crew rocks their heads to the beat and drive off laughing.)
- Once outside, they wonder with annoyance how they'll get back to town.
- From the Maraschino Ruby short, the way Mr. Wolf handles Chief Luggins trying to frame him and the Bad Guys for stealing the titular gem. Despite setting her up to be exposed and arrested for entrapment, Mr. Wolf makes a deal for the charges to be dropped if Luggins gives a public apology. Considering that he could have let her be arrested, it's a rather forgiving gesture to the cop who tried to entrap them because she didn't believe they'd reformed.
- Also from said short, Mr. Snake initially being opposed to the plan to get back at Chief Luggins for her accusations because he doesn't want to risk the goodwill the Bad Guys have gained. Him, the one who started out opposing the Bad Guys' reform the most.
