“I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.” Jessica Rabbit purred the famous line in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it’s a plight with which the key characters in this enjoyably manic DreamWorks animation might identify. A sharp-suited wolf, a tech-wizard tarantula, a grumpy snake, a piranha with impulse control issues and a shark who happens to be a master of disguise: all are accustomed to striking fear into the hearts of those who encounter them. A career in crime was inevitable. But just at the moment when they are about to pull off their biggest job, the Bad Guys get a taste of being good. And, thanks to a saintly guinea pig voiced by Richard Ayoade, they might just have a chance at rehabilitation.
Like Roger Rabbit, the pacing owes a debt to the demented frenzy of classic Looney Tunes animations, but the film also nods to heist movies, notably the Oceans series. It’s deliberately preposterous – the disguises are rarely more convincing than the kind of false nose and moustache combo you might find in a cracker. But there’s a kernel of believability where it matters: in the easy repartee and fully fleshed friendships. It’s sharp, silly and frequently very funny.
